Stealing Your Heart
by Star Inkyness 95
Summary: Rikku was only the Al Bhed thief. She didn't think Wakka wanted anything to do with her. But when her feelings get ahead of her, she learned that Wakka was more understanding than she thought.
1. Show Me Your Face

**I do not own Final Fantasy. I am only using the characters and parts of the storyline.**

Hello everyone. This is my 4**th**** FanFic and my 1****st**** Final Fantasy FanFic. It starts out when Tidus is reunited with Rikku in Moonflow. I always try and keep my FanFics clean, so no need to worry. ; ) ______________________________________________________ **

**I would also like to make another thing clear about this fic. It's not just a drabble about Rikku and Wakka. I include lines from the story to show Rikku's perspective on things and the things that happen to her that you don't see or hear. Her thoughts, her feelings throughout the game and how she falls in love with Wakka. I plan on making this a story of three parts. The story during FFX, the gap between FFX and FFX-2, and during FFX-2.  
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Rikku opened her eyes and looked around her. One moment she was controlling the Extractor and the next she was washed up on a Moonflow beach. Spitting out a mouthful of sand, she rested her head back down on the cool ground to try and clear her mind. Faintly but stronger, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.

"Wait, you're not dead?" She recognized that voice. Springing up, she unlatched the heavy backpack and let it fall to the ground. Reaching around her back, she began to unzip the zipper, finally ridding herself of the sweaty rubber suit. After throwing down the heavy mask, she shook the sand out of her hair and stood up fully.

"I thought I was done for back there," She said, dropping to the ground again.

"Rikku, you're Rikku!" _Well duh_… she thought. "Hey! How ya been?"

"Terrible," She said truthfully. The past few days had been nothing but trouble.

"Yeah, you don't look too good, what happened?"

"You beat me up, remember?" She said, pointing her finger at him, causing him to fall backwards.

"Huh? That Machina, that was _you_?" Rikku nodded.

"Mm-hmm…" She stood up and clutched her throbbing head. "That really hurt you know! You big meanie…"

"Wait! But you attacked us!" He exclaimed.

"Nu-uh! It's not exactly what you think," She said defensively.

"Yo!" They heard Wakka cry out down the path. Turning, they saw the rest of the party approach. "Friend of yours?" He asked Tidus when he came up to them.

"Uh, I guess you could say that," He said awkwardly, brushing his hair back.

"Nice to meet ya, I'm Rikku!" She said to the group.

"Yuna, Lulu, I told you about her, remember? She was the one that helped me before I was washed up in Besaid. She's an Al Bhe- Bhe… " He turned the rest of Al Bhed into a strange cough, remembering what Wakka had told him about how he felt about them.

"Wow, so you like, owe her your life! What luck meeting here, ya? Praise be to Yevon!" He said as he sank into the Prayer of Yevon, and then turned to her. "So uh, Rikku, you look a little beat up. You okay?"

"Uh, Wakka," Lulu said. He looked at her.

"What?"

"There's something we must discuss," Yuna said to him.

"Oh, go ahead," He said, a little curious. Rikku ran over to the two women and turned to Wakka.

"Girls only! Boys please wait over there!"

"Right, sorry Wakka," Lulu said, dismissing him. The three walked away, leaving the rest of the group.  
Yuna and Lulu turned to face Rikku.

"Rikku, if I asked you to become my Guardian, would you accept?" Rikku was surprised. She didn't think that they would want her to stay around for the rest of the day, let alone with them for Yuna's entire pilgrimage. Yuna noticed her hesitation. "You refuse?" She asked with a trace of hurt in her voice.

"Oh no, I would love to be your guardian!" She said excitedly, trying not to jump up and down. Lulu surveyed her.

"Any special traits or skills?" She asked her.

"Oh yeah, I know loads about machines and special potions." Rikku explained, waving her arms around. She tried to explain what she was good at without letting her Al Bhed heritage slip. Lulu and Yuna exchanged glances when Lulu nodded, and they walked back over to the rest of the party.

"Sir Auron?" Yuna said as she approached them. "I would like Rikku, to be my guardian." He took a few steps over to her. Rikku looked down.

"Show me your face," He demanded. "Huh?" She asked, still looking at the dirt. "Look at me," He said again. "Oh, okay," She raised her head, eyes squeezed shut. She knew what was going to happen next. "Open your eyes," Reluctantly, she lifted the lid of her left eye just enough to see the green swirled pupil. "As I thought," He said. Rikku waited for him to dismiss her. "Um, no good?" She asked nervously. "Are you sure?" He asked, and she looked up. "A hundred percent!" She said truthfully.

"So, anyway, can I?" She asked to Sir Auron, crossing her fingers that she could.

"If Yuna wishes it," He said, looking over at her. "Yes, I do!" Rikku restrained herself from jumping up and throwing her arms around the burly red clad man. Wakka grunted with displeasure and crossed his arms. There was something about her that he just, didn't like.

"Rikku's a good girl; she helped me out a bunch!" Tidus chimed in. Rikku turned and nodded and Wakka let his arms drop.

"Well I'm for it, the more the merrier!" He said, only half meaning it.

"Right-oh!"She said cheerfully. "Then I'll just have to be the merriest!" She walked over to Yuna. "Rikku, at your service!"

So Sir Auron knew that she was Al Bhed. He didn't seem too phased by it, though. He probably understood her desire to be something more, or she hoped. They all turned and started to trudge along the path to Guadosalam.

She couldn't help but notice Lulu out of the corner of her eye. She seemed so cool, so undisclosed. She was hugging the doll in her arms tightly as if she was scared, though her face showed nothing of the kind. It was hidden beneath a dark curtain of hair, her lips, though they were not covered by the veil of night, were dyed purple. _I wonder what they looked like before. _She thought to herself, turning away before the Black Mage noticed she was staring at her.

When they got to Guadosalam, Rikku watched as the green haired Tromell made off with Yuna.

"So we'll have a bit of time around here. You know, to see the city and stuff." Tidus said to her as the rest of the group went off.

"I'll see you a bit later, then." She smiled and turned.

"Wait," She looked back at him. "You should know this... um… don't let Wakka know you're an Al Bhed, okay?" The question caught her off guard.

"Why?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, the thing with Wakka is… he doesn't really… um… _like_ the Al Bhed. If he knew he would probably just shut you out. And with you both being Guardians, well, we don't want that, do we?" She let her arms hang at her sides again.

"I guess not…" Tidus gave her an awkward smile and walked past her and down the stairs of the nearby inn.

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**Please review! : ) Next chapter will be out soon.**

**~ Star Inkyness 95 **


	2. You Pushed Me Over!

Rikku opened the door and came into the brightly light Guado shop. "Woah," She breathed as she walked over the blue veined floor.

"Ah, Rikku," Her name made her look up. "Good to see you again, my dear,"

"O'aka!" She exclaimed, walking over to the salesman. "It's good to see you again!" Giving him a quick hug, she stepped back. "How've you been?"

"Sale's been good, thanks to your friend Tidus,"

"Tidus?" Rikku asked, surprised.

"Yeah! He loaned me a bit of start-up when I was on the S.S. Liki. Got my business going, he did,"

"Huh, I wouldn't think that Tidus would do something like that…" O'aka shrugged. "Well I should be going. Can I get some potions before I go?" She asked, pulling out a bag of Gil.

"Of course, of course," He said as he unstrapped his wares bag and showing Rikku his items. She bought a few more grenades and 5 Hi-Potions, carefully tucking them away in her pouch. After putting the Gil in his outstretched hand she turned to leave, only to run head on into Kimahri.

"Oh, hey Kimahri," She said nervously. The Ronso said nothing, only steered around her and walked silently up to the counter. _What's up with him? _She asked to herself and stepped out of the shop into the street. She walked in the direction of Seymour's mansion, looking at her feet.

_Why is Kimahri so quiet all of the time?_ She thought as she fiddled with the Chocobo feather stuck in her braid. _Whenever he does talk, he doesn't really even stray much from what he is trying to say. And what's with his horn? I sup-_

"Oof!" Her train of thought was interrupted when she ran right into Wakka's back, sending her falling on the ground. He turned, a little surprised to see her on the ground like that.

"What are you doing down there, ya?" He asked. Rikku rolled her eyes.

"You pushed me over!" Wakka looked defensive.

"I didn't! You ran into me!"

"If you knew why I was on the ground, why did you ask me then?" That got him. He hesitated, looking for something to say. Giving up, he groaned and helped Rikku back to her feet. "Owie…" She whined, massaging her sore backside. "You big meanie…" Wakka threw his arms up in protest.

"Oh calm yourself Wakka," Lulu came up to the pair. "We need to get to Maester Seymour's right away." She side glanced at Rikku and then turned on her heel and walked down the road. Rikku looked back at Wakka.

"Well I guess we better get going." They both turned and started ambling toward the enormous mansion.

"It's kinda scary, isn't it?" She pressed a bit closer to Wakka as they approached the giant red double doors.

"Ah, don't be scared!" He said as he wrapped his arm around her in a brotherly way. "Seymour's a Maester, no better person out there, ya?" He added with a grin. "Praise be to Yevon!" Rikku gave him an awkward grin and Wakka let his arm drop. Using two hands, he pushed the doors open. "Ladies first!" He said, holding the door for her.

"In that case," Rikku motioned for him to go, giving him a teasing smile. Rolling his eyes, he pushed her through the door. Stumbling slightly, she was about to yell something at Wakka when she looked up and saw Sir Auron staring at her. Or at least, she thought he was staring at her, she could only really see her own reflection in his shades.

"In a place like this, it is best to be quiet," He said coolly. Rikku bit her lip nervously. Wakka walked around her, quietly stepping up the stairs to the left, admiring the portraits of other Guado Maesters. She started to walk across the room, doing a slight turn to marvel at the decor. She leaned against the wall, right next to Sir Auron. A gentle aroma wafted in the room, making Rikku pick up her nose and sniff the air.

Kimahri came through the door and silently walked over and stood next to Yuna. The silence was killing her. Trying very hard to sit still, she shifted her weight to her other foot. The doors swept open and Tidus came tramping in. He looked around a bit, then padded up the stairs on the right and was fiddling with something on the ground. _Can't that boy ever sit still?_ She thought as she played with her hair.

He spoke to Wakka and Lulu for a bit, and then tromped down to the main floor. "I wonder what smells so good." She puzzled to him as he looked at her.

She was relieved when Tromell pushed open the double doors. "This way, please," He wheezed. Stepping through the hallway, they emerged into the banquet hall. A smile stretched across her face as she saw all the food piled on the table, and her empty stomach gave a happy gurgle.

"I will go inform Lord Seymour, please wait here," Tromell said. Rikku turned and stepped over to the food table.

She circled it, and plucked a large ripe fruit and sunk her teeth into it, licking the sweet juice off of her hand. After polishing her fruit down to the core, she picked up another piece. This time she slipped it in her pocket for later. Taking a third piece, she took a large bite, feeling finally that her stomach was full again.

As she ate, she couldn't help but glance at Wakka. His yellow blitzer uniform offset his flaming red hair, halfway hidden behind his blue bandana. His uncovered right arm, sculpted from years of Blitzball playing, bulged as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Rikku thought he was somewhat handsome, rugged, but gentle. She smiled as he reached up and scratched his cheek with his thumb. Noticing that he was being watched, he glanced up. Rikku blushed and looked down at her boots. _I hope he doesn't think I'm weird…_ she thought to herself, and sucked the pit of the fruit dry.  
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**Please review! I'm working as fast as I can. ; ) **

**~Star Inkyness 95**


	3. Ew!

**Okay, the story is a little slow going so far, but it will pick up soon. ; ) All love takes time, and the time will just make the ending a bit sweeter.  
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Rikku looked up as Tromell pushed his way through a set of doors. "Truly it is good to have guests again. Since Lord Jyscal passed away these halls have been too quiet." He said, walking over to Yuna.

"The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all of Spira," She said to him as he came over to her. Rikku heard Wakka and Tidus talking quietly, and gave into the urge to eavesdrop.

"Was this Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?"

"He brought the teaching of Yevon to the Guado. He was truly a great man," Of course Wakka would say something like that.

"Truly a loss for us all," Tromell started again, and Wakka and Tidus stopped talking. "But now, a new leader, Maester Seymour has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think. Lord Seymour will surely become the shining star that lights the way of all the peoples of Spira,"

"That is enough, Tromell," Seymour said as he walked into the room." Must I always endure such praise?" Rikku tried not to roll her eyes. Seymour sank into a bow. "Welcome,"

"You wanted to see me?" Yuna asked, taking a few steps foreward.

"Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush,"

"Please keep this short, Yuna must rush." Auron said.

"Pardon me, it has been a long time since I had guests," Was it just her, or was Seymour playing the pity card? "Lady Yuna, this way," As she stepped foreward, the floor under them dissolved. Streaks of dazzling light soared around them, and soon, a city appeared.

"Woah!" Rikku exclaimed, bending over slightly to get a better view. The lights, the color, the people, it was hard to believe it was all real once. A machina city, full of wonder and excitement, it was all at the bottom of the sea now.

"This sphere is a reconstruction created by the thoughts of the dead that wander the Farplane," Seymour explained.

"Zanarkand?" Tidus asked him.

"Correct, Zanarkand. Almost 1000 years ago, the great and wondrous machina city. She once lived in this metropolis," _She?_ Rikku puzzled to herself. Yuna turned to him and asked the very question they were all thinking.

"She, who?" The scene around them faded, and the room appeared again. "Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna exclaimed, and Rikku noticed the small woman sitting in the room, looking down. Cascades of fine silver hair flowed over her shoulders.

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages," Seymour explained. "And you have inherited her name,"

"It was my father who named me," She told him.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did. However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone," He sank into a Prayer. "To defeat the undefeatable Sin, it took an unbreakable bond of love, the kind that binds two hearts for eternity," They both turned to them. Looking back, Rikku saw a large man clad in armor, walking quickly right at her. She was about to jump out of the way, when he passed right through her.

When he walked through her, warmth spread around her body, moving from the very tips of her fingers to the very center of her heart. She closed her eyes, cherishing the toasty feeling inside of her. When she opened them, the two shadowy figures disappeared. Looking back at Seymour and Yuna, he leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She blushed, and covered her face.

She quickly walked over to the table and chugged a glass of water and set it back down with shaking hands. She walked away from the table, and the Guardians gathered around her. Rikku noticed the pink hue in her cheeks getting deeper.

"Wow! Your face is beet red!" She exclaimed. Yuna quickly put her face in her hands after the comment.

"You okay?" Tidus asked her.

"Oh… um…" She spluttered. "He…he asked me to marry him," Rikku restrained herself from yelling, "Ew!"

"You serious?" Tidus asked her. He looked rather upset. Auron turned to Seymour.

"You know what Yuna must do,"

"Of course," He said. "Lady Yuna, no, all Summoners, are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of all of Spira. She must be a leader for the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a maester of Yevon," Auron addressed him again.

"Spira is no playhouse. A moment's diversion may amuse an audience, but it changes nothing,"

"Even so, the actors must play their parts," _What is that supposed to mean? _Rikku thought to herself. He stepped over to Yuna. "There's no need to answer right away, please, think it over,"

"We will do so then. We leave." Auron said, and started to walk away, a universal sign that it was time to go.

"Lady Yuna, I await your favorable reply," _Well that's a little cocky…_ Rikku thought, crossing her arms. He turned to the departing Auron. "Why are you still here, Sir?" He stopped. "I beg your pardon," He bowed slightly. "We Guado, we are very keen to the scent of the Farplane," Auron's silence was cold. Tidus stepped in front of him, sniffing the front of his jacket. Rikku giggled as he put his hand over his face and pushed him backwards. He walked out of the room, and the rest of the party followed.

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**Reviews appreciated. : )  
~Star Inkyness 95  
**


	4. You're Going To Be Fine

_So Seymour wants to marry Yuna… that's weird. But at least it would give Yuna a reason to quit her pilgrimage. _Rikku thought as they all trudged to the Farplane. She had suggested that she should do so, but, she wanted to continue. _Dammit Yunie, we don't want you to die. Why do you want to? Someone else can defeat Sin. _

The party stopped, and she looked up. The shimmering blue of the Farplane danced before her eyes. Trudging up, Auron sat down halfway up the stairs. Tidus looked at him.

"Hey, aren't you coming?" Auron shook his head.

"I do not belong there…"

"You're scared!" _Always the charmer, Tidus._

"Searching the past to find the future… this is all that is there. I need it not," He paused for a second. "You better get going," Rikku could tell he was the scared one, not Auron. Of course, what else would you expect? Going into the very place the dead dwell for eternity… she was scared the first time, too. She remembers the day when her father took her to the Farplane to talk to her grandmother. She clung to his legs, afraid of the ghost-like figure that floated before her.

"You're not really going to see the dead, more like your memories of them," She explained. "People think of their relatives and the pyreflies react to them. They take of the form of a dead person, an illusion, nothing else." She thought by his, "hmm," that meant that he understood. "Well, have fun!" She waved to him.

"What? You're not going either Rikku?" She shook her head.

"I keep my memories inside. Memories are nice, but that's all they are," And with that, she turned and sat of the ledge of the stairs, hugging her knee to her chest. She heard Tidus enter the Farplane behind her. Needing something in her hands to make the awkward silence a bit easier, she took out the piece of fruit that she had packed away.

"I told Yuna about your heritage," _Ah crap…_ she squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the worst. "She needed to know,"

"And?" She asked him.

"She says it makes no difference. As long as you want to be a guardian 100 percent it doesn't matter who you are or where you've come from," She sighed in relief. 'But Wakka would not be so understanding,"

"I know…" She sighed. She heard him stand up but she didn't turn to face him.

"I see how you look at him," She suddenly felt her face go hot. "Romance can wait, you need to focus on Yuna now," Her fingers tightened on the fruit until the juice started running down her hand.

"Oh, what would you know?" She shot back at him. He was silent, but she could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. She was saved when she heard Yuna step out of the Farplane followed by the Guardians. She sighed and got up, pitching the mushed fruit over the edge of the stairs.

After the incident with Lord Jyscal, they finally came back to Guadosalam and waited for Yuna to talk to Seymour. She stepped up an incline, and sat on the ledge overlooking the road. _Next stop, thunder plains... _She shuttered, dreading the next move, hoping that Yunie would take forever talking with Seymour. It was a while before she squeezed her eyes shut and realized that Yunie would probably be done by now.

Slowly she got up, taking a few deep breaths, and turned and walked back to the mansion. The rest of the group was huddled together in some sort of half circle, minus Tidus and Yuna. No one was speaking, but the silence was comfortable.

A few seconds later Tidus came huffing up, and announced that Lord Seymour had already left. _That's weird, why would he just take off like that? _Then Yuna must be in there alone. Rikku turned and called to her. "Yuna, time to go!" She came out, looking troubled. Rikku put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as they walked to the Thunder Plains.

The quiet crashes of thunder could already be heard, and were getting louder as they walked. Rikku began to tremble, harder and harder as the thunder became louder. The day flashed before her.

_It was a beautiful sunny day, the waves rolled onto the beach with ease. Rikku splashed happily in the water, not a care in the world. Suddenly, she heard her brother shout her name. Fiends were all around her, so quick she didn't notice until it was too late. He ran a few meters into the water, and began to cast Thundura. A wave hit him and knocked him off balance, diverting his target from the fiends to Rikku._

She bit her lip at the painful memory. A sudden flash of lightning scared her, and she cried out and ducked. "I hate lightning! I hate thunder!" She called out, hands clamped firmly to her ears. She tried to make a sly excuse to go back to Guadosalam, but Auron called her out. Taking a few deep breaths, she began to walk across the Thunder Plains.

Every crash of thunder made her heart leap into her throat and sent shivers down her body. She trembled, not really knowing where she was going or what she was doing. All she knew was to follow the group. Groups of fiends seemed to attack constantly. The best Rikku could really do was throw a few grenades.

As they walked along, one lightning bolt came within a few feet from them.

"Woah, that was a close one!" Wakka laughed. _How could he possibly be having fun right now?_

"Stop kidding around," Lulu scolded.

"Yes ma'am," Now that was funny. So funny, Rikku had to laugh.

"Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"

The group turned and looked at her. "Hmm? What's wrong?" Wakka asked.

"Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…" She was so nervous because of the lightning she didn't even know what she was laughing about anymore.

""Eh heh heh heh" You're giving me the creeps!" _Why thank you for your support, Tidus. _Another bolt of lightning shot across the sky very close to the group. That was too much for Rikku. She dropped to her knees, then on her hands and knees. Then she scuttled.

She must have scared Tidus pretty bad, latching onto his leg like that. But she just needed something sturdy to hold onto. And have you ever felt a blitzball player's leg? Pretty sturdy my friends, pretty sturdy.

"I wanna go home!" She cried out. "I hate lightning! I hate thunder!" She noticed one of Rin's travel agencies right in front of them. "Let's go rest over there, please?"

"This storm never stops, best to keep moving."_ Don't any of them understand how scared I am right now?_

"I know but, just for a little while?"

"Well, what now?" Tidus asked, looking at the Al Bhed still attached to his leg. "Pretty please? I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest. Please? Pretty please?" She pleaded to them. Finally, they decided to step inside for a few minutes. Rikku huddled up in the corner trembling, dreading the moment that they would have to step outside once more.

"Are you that scared?" She looked up to see Tidus standing in front of her.

"When I was little, a fiend attacked me while I was swimming at the beach," She began to retell the nightmare. "My brother tried to beat it back with a spell, but missed and hit me instead!" She could still feel the painful shock waves going through her, burning her up inside. "It was a thunder spell, BZZZZT!"

"Ouch," He said sympathetically.

"I've been scared of lightning ever since,"

"But it can be effective," Rikku looked at Lulu. "Magic is effective against water fiends,"

"My brother said that too,"

"You should learn some spells, too," A crash of thunder came overhead. Rikku cried out and ducked. "Hmm, maybe later," She turned back to the wall, hugging her arms to her chest and trembling. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You're going to be okay, ya?" She turned around and looked at Wakka for a second, before he pulled her in his arms. "You're going to be fine," He stroked her hair comfortably, rocking her slightly. There was a scent of the sea on his rain soaked chest. She felt safe, like nothing in the world could hurt there when he was near. "You're going to be okay, I'm here." He said one more time. Rikku believed it.

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Review if you want more fluff. ; )  
~Star Inkyness 95**


	5. I'm Scared

Wakka looked up and around the small lobby of the inn. "Where'd Tidus go?" Lulu motioned for the hallway into the rooms. Wakka looked back down at Rikku and squeezed her shoulder. "I gotta go settle something, sit tight, ya?" Rikku nodded, and Wakka stepped into the hallway. They all sat in silence, something Rikku couldn't usually bear. She shifted her weight and shivered.

She then heard Tidus giving cries of a struggle, and Wakka scolding him. Rikku giggled nervously for a second. Auron stood up and yawned quietly. "We may rest here for the night," He said. Rikku was happy at that. Dropping some Gil on the counter, she took the room key from the clerk and walked slowly down the hall. She took deep breaths, trying to shut out the flashes and booms that rained overhead.

She looked dawn at her clenched fist and realized her knuckles had turned white. Releasing the key from her grip, she fingered it carefully before sliding it in the lock. The bed looked most welcoming to her tired body. She kicked off her boots and let her hair down. She unbuckled her items holster and detached her claw. After carefully setting them down on the chair, she flopped onto the bed and took off her gloves and goggles. Another crash of thunder sounded overhead. Rikku pressed a pillow to her ears to muffle out the sounds, but with no success.

Hours passed, but Rikku couldn't manage to sleep with the storm raging outside. She sat up and stepped out of bed an unlatched the door. She peeked out and tip-toed into the hall. Coming up to the door she was looking for, she unlatched it and went quietly inside. She stepped over the sandals and yellow blitzer uniform, and bent over by the sleeping figure.

"Wakka, I'm scared!" He groaned and opened his eyes to look at her. Rikku bit her finger nervously. He fumbled for the light and ran his fingers through his unruly red hair. He opened his mouth to tell her off, but stopped. He watched her shaking in the dim light, and realized that she really was very scared of the storm.

He didn't say anything, and he didn't need to. He sat up and wrapped her small figure in his arms, despite the fact that he was only wearing his jeans. She lied down next to him, face pressed into his bare chest. Wakka could feel her tremble, but as the minutes passed, she slowly fell asleep.

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As the sun rose above the clouds, the storm raged on. Auron knew that they needed to depart quickly. Fully dressed, he emerged from his room. "Rikku," He said, knocking on her door. "Time to go," He knocked again. _Hmm, that's strange. _He opened the door and came in, only to find just her not there.

He moved onto the next door. Lulu and Kimahri were already up and patiently waiting in the lobby of the inn. After getting Yuna up, he knocked on Wakka's door. "Time to go," Wakka groaned. Auron began to walk away.

"Oh no, morning already?" He froze, hearing a girl's voice. What was Rikku doing in Wakka's room? He unlatched the door and threw it open.

Rikku was on her knees, quickly putting up her hair. _**Bang**_ She squeaked and fell onto the floor, looking up to see Auron in the doorway. "This isn't what it looks like!" Wakka scrambled up and jumped right into his blitzer pants. 

"I'm sure it isn't," he said coolly, and turned and walked out of the room. Adding, "Just don't get distracted from what we're trying to do," Rikku nodded and picked herself off of the floor. She gave Wakka one last fleeting look as he was trying to speed dress and walked out and back to her own room.

She put on her boots and secured her items pouch. She looked in the mirror and pinned her bangs back where they should be. Her cheeks were still burning from embarrassment. A flash of lightning made her jump, and any hope she had of the storm stopping faded away. She buckled the claw to her arm slowly. Each snap slipped though her shaking fingers. When she was done, she ran her finger over the sharp blade and sighed.

Walking out to the lobby, she held her arms to her chest and shivered. Tidus walked out and stretched, making quite a bit of noise as he did so. _Does he really have to be that obnoxious? I suppose he's just trying to break the silence…_ she thought to herself. She felt eyes burning into her.

Looking up, she saw Auron staring at her. She smiled nervously, and flinched as another bolt of lightning ripped the sky open. "It's not stopping, is it?"

"Don't tell me you were hoping it would," Another crack of thunder made her flinch again. "Fine, stay here," He crossed the room and walked out of the inn and into the raging storm. Rikku tried to be brave, but she couldn't help being mad at Auron.

"Alright, already. But, you didn't have to say it like that, you know!" She protested. "You could be more comforting or something! You know, try and cheer me up?" She called after him._ Not that I could ever picture him actually being comforting, but it didn't hurt to yell it at him. _"You just don't get me at all, do you? Hey! Are you listening?" _Of course he isn't._ Another flash ripped throughout the sky and she resisted the flinch and stood up bravely. "I'm not scared!" She lied loudly after him. She was getting pretty mad at this point. "I'm not scared, you hear?!" She shouted, and walked out in the storm.

The wind whipped though her like a monster, rain splattering her clothes. She squinted and trudged along the muddy path. An enthusiastic Qactuar bounced up and greeted them. Rikku stood back and watched and the rest of the party tried to kill it. Tidus leaped and tried to strike it, but it bounced out of the way of his blade.

"Oh please," Rikku traded places with Auron, and rummaged around in her items pouch. Pulling out a grenade, she yanked out the pin and threw it at the bouncing green cactus. "Fire in the hole!" She yelled, and turned to cover her ears from the explosion. After the bright flash of light and heat faded, she turned to see the Qactuar burst into a cloud of pyreflies. She smiled proudly and struck a pose for her victory.

"Hey Rikku, good one!" She turned and gave Wakka a high-five. She smiled, and for the first time, thought that she just might be able to make it out of the Thunder Plains alive.  
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**Thank you puddlejumperOZ for the reviews! : ) I hope you other guys and gals will do the same. ; )  
~Star Inkyness 95 **


	6. I Don't Know If I Can Keep Lying

Rikku could just see the blue canopy of leaves of the trees in the Macalania forest. Relief spread throughout her and she began to speed up a bit. "Everyone, wait," It was Yuna, and she turned to look at her.

"What's up?" Wakka asked.

"I have something to tell you," _Oh boy…_

"Here?" _No way, n-o-o-o-o way!_

"We're almost out of here, let's go!" Rikku said, gesturing to the forest.

"I have to say it now," She insisted.

"Over there," Auron gestured to a roofed lightning tower Rikku didn't notice before. As they made their way up to it, Rikku dreaded the worst. She shivered as she heard what Yuna had to say. When she finished, Rikku was on the verge of tears. She just didn't understand why Yuna wanted to keep journeying, just to have the Final Aeon kill her…

She walked up to her and put her hands on Yuna's shoulders. "Yunie…" A flash of lightning interrupted her thoughts. "Quiet!" She yelled at the sky, and then turned back to her. "I wish we could help somehow, someway," Yuna put a hand on hers.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," Rikku nodded, blinking back the tears that fought in her eyes. They turned and walked back out in the storm, their spirits a little lower.

The end of the path was finally under Rikku's feet, and she couldn't be happier. She ran out of the wind, the splattering rain, and the bright streaks of lightning. She jumped up and down out of happiness. She made it out! "I made it out! I made it out!" She cheered and jumped some more. Yuna came running up and jumped with her, meeting her with a high five in mid air. Lulu looked on with a slight smile on her face.

"Whoo!" Wakka cheered with her. He came up and bent down, grabbing her around the knees and threw her over his shoulder.

"Woah! Wakka!" They both laughed as he spun her around. He dropped her, and she swaggered around for a moment, very dizzy. She fell on the ground and stuck her legs out. Yuna's smile faded, and her face looked troubled. The moment of giddiness seemed to leave everyone, and the curse of reality was thrust upon them once again.

Rikku looked around for a second. "Hey, where'd Tidus and Auron go?" She looked back down the path that they had come, and saw them talking quietly. She couldn't tell what they were saying. She looked at her boots and clicked the toes together, sighing.

When Auron and Tidus approached, Rikku jumped up. "Slowpokes!" She watched Tidus smile at the childish name calling.

"Sorry!" He turned and stepped over to Yuna. Rikku watched him, his eyes softened as he looked at her, his mouth curling into a small smile. "Yuna, let's go," She returned the smile to him. Rikku turned and ran up the trunk of the tree in front of the others, enjoying the familiar slaps from the long blue straps on the back of her calves.

She slowed to a walk and let the rest of the group catch up. Tidus ran with Wakka up ahead, who knows what they were doing. She stood beside Yuna, who was walking just behind Kimahri.

"So, Rikku," She began. "Sir Auron told me about you being Al Bhed," Rikku nodded. "I was wondering if you know a man named Cid."

"Well yeah, he's the leader of the Al Bhed, and my father." Yuna stopped and stared at her.

"Cid… is your father?" Rikku was a little confused at her reaction. Suddenly, Yuna threw her arms around Rikku and hugged her very hard. "Cid is my mother's brother," She explained, still hugging her. Rikku hugged back with all her strength. Her dad had talked about his sister marrying, but he never really went into it. _I can't believe that she had married Lord Braska… no wonder Yuna was so understanding about me being Al Bhed! Yuna is half Al Bhed!_

"Let's move on, ladies," They broke their hug and turned to Auron. Yuna nodded, and they began to walk again, feeling a bit happier.

"Are they _chasing butterflies_?" Yuna asked, looking down at Wakka and Tidus, who were running around on the branches below. They did indeed look like they were chasing butterflies. Rikku and Yuna giggled, but tried to stifle them as the two giddy men ran back up to them.

"Hey!" They all looked up and saw Dona's burly guardian Barthello running up to them, looking frantic. "Have- have you seen Dona?" Rikku bit her lip.

"Dona? Can't say I have," Rikku knew where she was. If Barthello couldn't find her, she was obviously in Home.

"What's up?" Wakka asked behind her.

"We got separated on our way here. Damn it all! I've got to find her," _He won't._

"Calm down," Auron said.

"But, if anything happens to her…" _Nothing will, be at ease._

"Running around in a panic is not going to help. Right now you have to keep cool and search."

"But-!" He protested.

"Guard your emotions, then guard your summoner," _That does seem to be his motto; I haven't seen him give a shred of emotion the whole time I've known him._ That seemed to get to Barthello. He sighed.

"You're right,"

"Shall we search?" Auron offered.

"No, I've taken up enough of your time," He sank into a Prayer of Yevon. "Thank you, Sir Auron," Rikku had to say something to help him, anything. She couldn't just have him run around blindly searching desperately for his summoner. She tried to run foreward and catch him, but he turned and ran off before she could say anything.

"What's up?" Wakka asked her. She most certainly couldn't tell him, of all people.

"Oh, I just wanted to wish him good luck," She lied. Wakka shrugged, and began to walk. The rest of the party followed. _I don't know if I can keep lying. Sometime, he's going to find out…_


	7. Tastes Like JellO?

Rikku ran her fingers over the shimmering Fish Scale she had stolen from the Blue Element fiend that had just attacked them. She shook herself, getting most the droplets of water off of her skin. As they rounded each bend of the dim tree lined path the air became more frigid, and the fragile coatings of frost on the grass became thicker.

"We're getting close to Macalania, that's for sure," Wakka said, shivering.

"Yeah, this isn't the tropical Besaid anymore, is it?" Rikku looked over at him. His breath hung in the air as a hazy fog. A strong Watera spell had him limping, and a bee sting had left a nasty green tint to his face. Rikku reached into her bag, and ripped the strange language label off of an Al Bhed potion. "Here," she handed it to him.

He studied it for a second, but put the opening to his lips and swallowed its contents. The green in his cheeks returned to pink and he stopped limping. "That's some good stuff," He acknowledged, casting the empty bottle away. Suddenly, Auron stopped in front of them. Everyone came to a halt.

"It is here, somewhere…"

"What's here?" Tidus asked him and Rikku wondered the same thing.

"Something you should see,"

"But… Sir Auron," Yuna said, taking a step toward him.

"It won't take long," And with that he took his gigantic sword, and swung at a branch obstructing a path. Again and again he swung, chopping away at the wood until it fell enough to reveal a path. Resting the blade back on his shoulder, he walked through.

Rikku stepped in the gentle puddles of water that pooled together on the ground. The air was full of playful shimmers that illuminated the small pond.

"This place…. It's just water, isn't it?" Tidus looked down at his wet boots.

"This is what spheres are made of," Auron explained. "It absorbs and preserves people's memories," The water stirred violently, and suddenly a strange creature lunged out of the depths.

"What's that?!" Wakka exclaimed, stepping back.

"Fiends are also attracted to these places," Auron said coolly, and struck his battle pose. Lulu and Tidus stepped on either side of him. Rikku stood back and watch the battle unfurl. The fiend kept changing its element before Lulu could really hit it with anything powerful. It morphed, and hit Tidus with a Lightning spell. Suddenly, Rikku got an idea. "Tidus, move!" She yelled, and switched places with him. She dug around in her pouch for the Fish Scale she had taken earlier. She crushed it in her fingers, relishing the smooth droplets that slid down her arm.

She chucked it at the blob, and smirked as she watched it writhe in discomfort. It gurgled and morphed again quickly. Rikku stepped foreward, not knowing what the blob held inside. Taking a deep breath, she plunged her arm in its jell-o like flesh. Wrapping her hand around something hard, she pulled her arm out and looked at her palm to find an Ether potion, a pretty cheap thing for such a powerful Boss. She jumped back and readied herself for another attack.

The thing jiggled, and then casted a Fire spell right at Rikku. She flinched at the flames that momentarily engulfed her, licking at her arms and leaving deep red burn marks. Lulu casted one more Blizzara spell, and finished it off. It shook, and then sank back into the depths of the pond, leaving behind a shimmering blue sphere.

They studied if for a second, then Tidus began to play if back. It was strange, hearing the gruff scratchy voice of Tidus' father fill the night. She glanced up at Yuna when the image of Lord Braska appeared along with a much younger Auron. He didn't wear the high collar back then, but the bright red coat remained the same. The image faded, and they all looked at each other. There wasn't really anything they could say to each other, so they stepped away and let Auron have a private word with Auron.

"Wasn't that awesome?" Wakka suddenly exclaimed in an effort to break the awkward moment.

"Yeah!" Rikku jumped, agreeing loudly.

"What a weird fiend, ya?" They laughed. "And you actually touched it!" Rikku giggled.

"Yeah, it felt like jell-o!" She held up her arm which was still covered in the sticky goo. Wakka ran his finger across her skin, catching a large finger full of the strange mush.

"I wonder if it tastes like jell-o…" He wondered, and Rikku watched him take an uncertain lick of his finger. "Blah!" He spit it out quickly. Rikku collapsed into a pile of laughter. Wakka turned and spat out all of the saliva in his mouth. "Uhh… that was disgusting!" He wrinkled his nose.

"You were the one that wanted to see if it tasted like jell-o!" Lulu said, smiling slightly. Rikku picked herself off of the ground. Wakka threw his head back and laughed. Rikku had never noticed him laugh before.

He grins his grin three miles wide, showing off his perfect pearly teeth. His chest heaves up and down as the laugh escapes him, rich and full of happiness. It was a manly laugh, deep and long. When he laughed, it showed all of the life inside of him.

Tidus stepped up to them with Auron right behind. "Alright, let's go guys!" Rikku nodded, and walked out of the clearing. They trudged along to the end of the forest path. By that time, the air was freezing, and snow was being blown in an icy wind. She shivered, and stepped inside one of Rin's Agencies to warm up before traveling to the Temple. Tidus was still outside talking to Clasko.

Rikku sighed and sat down, clicking her boots together impatiently. She did like the warmth of the agency, but she very much wanted to press on. Tidus came in, and they decided to leave. She got up and stretched, excited for the moment that lie ahead.


	8. I'm Sorry

The party stepped outside the agency and looked around. Once Tromell made off with Yuna and they began to walk across the lake, Rikku saw a frenzy of snow machines. It was them, they were coming for Yuna. "Oh no!" She exclaimed.

"Al Bhed!" Wakka jumped over the snow bank and Rikku followed, sliding on the ice to face the yellow masked Al Bhed. "Rikku!" Her name made her turn. It was her brother, in his usual shirtless attire even though it was freezing out. Seeing made her a bit hopeful, maybe if she could just explain to him…

"Don't interfere, or you get this!" He yelled in her language. She saw the machina roll over the snow, and her heart dropped. She had worked on that machina before. It was so powerful; it wiped out every enemy they had put it against. "Your precious magic and Aeons are sealed!"

"Oh no!" Rikku exclaimed again.

"Translation please?" Tidus pleaded.

"He's going to use an anti-magic field on us!" She saw the Negator pop out of the back of the giant machine, whirring and puffing like a strange bug. How were they going to go after something like that? They got in formation, all of them looking uncertain. Wakka was the only one who could reach the floating Negator, all the rest of them could do was try and pummel it with physical attacks. The floating machina finally fell, and Lulu quickly skidded in, striking it with as many Thundara spells as she could.

After what seemed like ages, the machina was still standing. Rikku was covered in scratches and burn marks, the battle was wearing her down and she didn't know how long she could keep battling it. With one last shred of hope, she pulled two lightning marbles out of her pouch and smashed them together. Before it exploded it on her, she tossed the Rolling Thunder at the machina.

The thunder hit it again, and again, and again, before it quit. The barrel of the giant gun spun out of control, and it finally collapsed into a pile of rusted metal. She pushed her sweaty bangs out of her eyes and sighed in relief.

"Rikku!" She turned and looked back at Brother. "I will tell father!"

"I am the guardian of Yuna, you see?" She explained quickly. "Yuna is safe! We will guard her! She is safe!" She shouted at him.

"You do this alone, sister!" And with that he turned and trudged over the snow. She turned to see everyone staring at her. She scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"I told him I was a guardian. Guess I had to, really." Wakka looked at her funny.

"How come you speak Al Bhed?" Rikku couldn't believe he hadn't caught on yet. She sighed, and knew that there was no getting out of this one.

"Because I'm Al Bhed. And that… was my brother." Wakka turned to Tidus, his face looked hurt.

"You knew?" Tidus nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we knew you'd be upset," Lulu said. The hurt in his face quickly turned to anger, and Rikku could see the hate burning in his eyes.

"This is great; I can't believe I've been travelling with an Al Bhed! A heathen!"

"You're wrong! We have nothing against Yevon!" She pleaded.

"But you Al Bhed use the forbidden machina! You know what that means? Sin was born because people used machina,"

"You got proof? Show me proof!" She demanded.

"It's in Yevon's teachings!" He crossed his arms. "Not that you'd know!" He added quickly.

"That's not good enough! Yevon says this, Yevon says that, can't you think for yourself?" She really didn't think that it would change anything, she was just grasping at straws at this point.

"Well then tell me, where did Sin come from, huh?"

"I- I don't know!" She bit her lip.

"You bad mouth Yevon, and that's all you can come up with?"

"But, that doesn't mean you should do whatever they say without thinking! Nothing will ever change that way!"

"Nothing has to change!" _Jeez, this man is stubborn…._

"You want Sin to keep coming back? There might be a way to stop it, you know!" She pleaded.

"Sin will be gone once we atone for our past mistakes."

"When? How?"

"If we keep faith in Yevon's teachings it will be gone one day!" Rikku shook her head.

"Why do I even bother…?" _How could one man have so much faith in something you couldn't even prove?_

"Rikku," She looked up at Auron, who was standing by one of the abandoned snow machines. "Will this move?" She walked over to it. The damage didn't seem too bad; she'd worked on this kind of thing before. She opened up its hatch and began to rummage around, plugging in wires and fixing gears.

"We're not using that, are we? Wait… Sir Auron isn't Al Bhed too, is he?" Rikku tried to block out the rest of the conversing, paying a bit more attention to the old machine than she normally would have. When she was done, she looked up to see Wakka storm off.

"I'm sorry…" She apologized.

"You've done nothing to apologize for," Lulu said, but Rikku wasn't so sure.

"All right! Let's ride!" Tidus said cheerfully.

Rikku glanced from the group to the snow machines. "Are you sure you know how to drive this?" Without any instruction, Kimahri tipped one over and started it up, speeding away to the temple. Auron sat on one, and Lulu sat behind him and grasped his waist. Rikku crossed over to Tidus and sat on the seat behind him. He revved the machine, and they sped off towards the temple.


	9. Get To You

**Thanks for the reviews AuronLu! I threw in a little something just for you ; )**

"Sorry about Wakka," Tidus apologized to her.

"He didn't have to be so mean, yeah? I almost cried," She said softly.

"Uh… Rikku?" She felt him fidget uncomfortably.

"Just kidding!" She lied quickly, but her heart was aching in her chest. Wakka hates her now, just because of what she is. "It's okay, at least you're still nice," He nodded, and they both fell silent again. In an effort to make the ride a bit easier, Rikku decided to tell Tidus about how she and Yuna were related. She didn't know if it was a good choice or not, but Rikku thought that she could trust him.

"Yuna's not the only one I want to protect. We Al Bhed want to protect all of the summoners, you know? Summoners are, well you could say that they sacrifice themselves to… well… bring joy to Spira," Tears began to well up in her eyes again at the thought of losing Yuna. _Why? Why does she want to do that to herself?_

"What do you mean?" Rikku was surprised, she thought that he knew. "Rikku?"

"Yes?"

"Sacrifice themselves?" She couldn't do it; she could bear to tell him the truth. Now he's cheerfully in the dark, but if she told him, she didn't know what he would do.

"You know, the pilgrimage? It…. uh… takes a lot out of you," He nodded again.

"Oh, right. But you know, Yuna's real serious about being a summoner. For Yuna, the pilgrimage means everything to her. You are going to help her too, aren't you Rikku? So you shouldn't say that Yuna's sacrificing herself," She hugged him closer, not wanting him to see the tears that were running down her face. "Rikku?"

"I hope you're right," They fell into silence again, and the temple entrance came before them. Rikku got off the machine and looked down, quickly wiping her face to get rid of the tears. She breathed deep to try and calm her breath as she stepped down the stairs to the temple.

The cold stung her cheeks as she crossed the long curved strip of ice. She couldn't bear to look down at the depths below. If she did, she'd probably fall down herself. She met up with Lulu at the entrance to the temple and they waited for the rest of them to arrive. Lulu must have noticed the tear stains on her cheeks.

"You shouldn't let Wakka get to you like that," She put a hand on her shoulder. "I've know Wakka almost my entire life. He'll come around, I'm sure of it," Rikku wasn't convinced. "I've been talking with Auron-"

"He told me that we can't let romance get in the way of what we're trying to do," she interrupted. "So don't you start lecturing _me_. I should probably say the same thing to you and _Sir_ Auron," She smirked slightly.

"I- well-"Lulu spluttered. "That's- that's none of your business!" Her cheeks flushed a sudden pink.

"Ah ha, so there _is_ something..?" Lulu shook her head and turned.

"You just… can't let it get in the way of guarding Yuna. You shouldn't get sidetracked…" She turned away from her as Tidus came trotting up with the rest of the party behind. Rikku glanced at Wakka, who looked away. She turned and tried to walk through the grand door.

"Halt! The priest said. "The likes of her are not welcome in this hallowed place!"_ First Wakka, now him? Will this never stop..?_

"She is a guardian," Auron said to him.

"An Al Bhed? A guardian? Preposterous!" _Believe it, buddy._

"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's all I want." She explained.

"And that's all one needs to be a guardian," The priest scrunched up his face in distaste, then stepped aside.

"Very well," She ran through the doors. Out of the wind, out of the cold, and but not out of the judgment. Tromell greeted her as she stepped through. He thanked her, and gave her a shiny new Shell Targe. She gasped and ran her fingers over the beautiful patterned metal, and felt the warmth of the magic underneath. She unstrapped her old targe and put it in her pouch, then put on the beautiful new one.

"Thank you!" She looked up at him.

"Oh no, it is me that is doing the thanking!" She gave him a smile and stepped away. She came up to the strange musical creatures. They both looked so happy, cheering for the wedding. The beat, the melody, it was so enchanting. Rikku began to sway, putting up her arms and moving them with her body. Her feet began to move and she stepped around to the beat. She began to spin around and laugh, not caring who watched.

She did one last quick wild turn when a bolt of bright red flashed in front of her. She tried to stop herself, but stepped on her own foot instead. Losing her balance, she squeaked and fell backwards onto the floor. A deep chuckle made her look up. Auron stood over her, a smile playing on his face.

"You didn't have to go so far to not run into me," He held out his arm. Rikku took it, and painfully got up. "But I appreciate it," Rikku nodded and massaged her sore backside, making a mental note to stop running into her male cohorts. Tidus came up to them.

"Come on, Yuna went to the Cloister of Trials with Seymour," She nodded again and started to step up the carpeted stairs.

"Lord Jyscal!" A voice cried out, and a woman burst through the door. "A sphere in Lady Yuna's belongings!" Rikku turned and ran through the open door to find Auron holding a shimmering blue sphere. As they listened to the horrific message, panic began to grow inside her. _Yuna had known! Why didn't she tell us? _She ran out of the door and sprinted up the stairs, skidding on the icy floors. She tried to leave her thoughts of Wakka behind her, and concentrate on saving Yunie. 


	10. Those Eyes

The intense battle had paid off. Seymour swayed, and fell backwards onto the floor. Yuna stepped over to him, running a hand across his face to close his eyes. Rikku's head was killing her, and the intense element spells had left her scorched and frozen.

"Lord Seymour!" Tromell cried as he burst through the door. Yuna stepped foreward to send him.

"Stay away from him, traitors!" Rikku wasn't the least bit phased by his remark. Being Al Bhed, she had always been a "traitor" to Yevon. But as soon as they had dragged Seymour away, Yuna dropped to the ground.

"Traitors?" She asked, not believing what she had just heard. She was a summoner; it was her duty to be close to Yevon's teachings. Rikku couldn't imagine what it would be like for her.

"We'll just tell them what happened!" Tidus told all of them.

"It won't be that easy," Auron was right. They turned and started to walk down the ice passageway. Rikku stepped on the slippery ice and managed to hold her ground. She took one more step, and the ice underneath her began to dissolve. Quickly jumping back, she managed not to fall all the way down.

A chunk of ice dissolved enough to let them through. Rikku looked down at the slope and shrugged, and stepped on it. When she did, her boot slipped right out from under her and she began to fall. "Help!" She cried, and reached back and grabbed something to steady herself, and managed to grab a strap of Wakka's blitz uniform. He stumbled and slipped foreward, and they began to tumble down the icy slope.

She threw her hands out and dug her nails in the ice, but it didn't stop her fall. They both fell right to the bottom. Rikku reached out and grabbed an ice stalagmite that was growing out of the floor and managed to stop herself, but that didn't help Wakka. He slid right into her, and in an effort not to crush her flat, he grabbed her. They rolled over a couple times, and then stopped. She looked at Wakka, who was right on top of her.

"What a fall, eh?" He scrambled up and held out his hand. Rikku took it, hoisting herself up. "Are you alright?" Yuna came skidding down the slope. Rikku tried to lift her arm to motion that she was fine, when an intense pain shot all the way from her wrist to her shoulder. She cried out and clutched her arm. Yuna gripped her rod and quickly casted a Cure spell on her. She felt the bones in her arm mend, and the pain dulled away.

"Sorry Wakka," She apologized, flexing her arm to make sure it had healed. "Are you okay?" He nodded, shaking bits of snow off of his skin. Rikku was sure that she saw a hint of pink in his cheeks. As they made their way through the tricky and equally slippery puzzle, she couldn't help but notice that Wakka continually glanced at her, and looked down quickly whenever she caught him. Maybe Lulu was right, he'd eventually come around.

Yuna placed the final sphere in its proper place and watched as the tunnel was completed. "Let's go," She said, and they all walked through the doors.

They were greeted by Tromell as they tried to leave. "Let us explain," Auron pleaded.

"The sphere!" She remembered. If they showed it to them, they would be convinced that they had to kill him!

"You mean this sphere?" He held it out, and smashed it. Along with it, their hope.

"Away!" Kimahri said, and waved his spear menacingly. The guado guardians backed off.

"Run!" Auron ordered, and Rikku took off. She pushed past the guado and threw open the doors, bolting down the slope. She sprinted as fast as she could, but the guado were too fast. One came up behind them and threw his arms around her neck, dragging her to the ground. She cried out and threw her elbow back into his face. There was a definite _**crack**_ as she broke his nose. While that dazed him for a moment Rikku scrambled up.

When they came out of the temple entrance, Rikku looked around to see that the snow machines were gone. Cursing momentarily, she began to run down the rocky path. The ice chips and jagged edges made it easier to run, but the path was so narrow they could only walk in single file.

When they finally crossed over to the other side, they were greeted by a fierce Wendigo. "This day just keeps getting worse and worse!" Wakka cried as he struck his battle pose. Rikku stood beside him. Rikku jumped up by the guado guardians and roped her arm around them, lucidly stealing their potions.

Before the guardians fell, they had made the beast go berserk and put a shell of protection around it. No matter what they hit it with, it didn't do very much damage at all. The red puffing fiend put its fists up, and charged right at Rikku. She gasped and tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. The powerful arms struck her. The world around her spun, and she fell into blackness.

She wasn't sure how long she was out. She heard someone calling her name, and she opened her eyes. Wakka was kneeling over her, a hand on the back of her neck. In his other hand he clutched an empty bottle of a Phoenix Down. She had been afraid this whole time to gaze into his eyes, for she was scared of what he might see. But this was the first time she did without fear.

Time slowed down, and all that was, was the two of them. His eyes were as brown as the earth, but they had the life of the sea. He curled his hand around hers, and she realized how soft it was. All the men she had known had callused hands, just like hers. But his was different.

"Rikku?" He said her name again, and she snapped back to reality. She cursed herself for spacing out like that; she must have looked so stupid! He helped her get back up again. She faced the beast again. It was tired, and she knew that he would fall soon. Auron swung at it one last time with his gigantic sword.

It swayed for a second, then roared and jumped on the ice. Rikku looked down just in time for it to shatter, and she began to fall down… down… down.


	11. Don't Touch Me!

The rushing feeling stopped, and she opened her eyes. She had fallen so far, how was she still alive and conscious? Rikku looked down where she had fallen. A fabric canopy had broken her fall. When she had fallen into it, it had closed around her like a hammock. Fidgeting out of the patterned entanglement, she fell down to the ground.

Water greeted her, so cold it numbed her face in a matter of seconds. Spluttering, she emerged and stood up, surveying the area around her. It looked like ruins of a small house. A low growl startled her and she turned to see Kimahri heave himself up. He shook his blue fur to get rid of the water, and then looked at Rikku, his mouth twisted in what looked like a smile.

"Kimahri happy to see Rikku well," She smiled.

"Good to see you too, Kimahri. Where is everyone?" They looked around. They saw Auron first, sprawled on his back on a nearby plank. She kneeled by him. "Auron!" She called, slapping his face gently.

"Lulu…" He murmured, stirring slightly.

"No, it's Rikku!" His eyes snapped open and he jumped up so fast she squeaked fell backwards.

"Where's Yuna?" He asked. Rikku looked around, and realized that Kimahri had disappeared. She called his name, and she saw him coming out of the hazy fog. He had an unconscious Yuna wrapped snugly in his arms. Auron sighed in relief and sat slumped against a piece of the stone wall. "Where are the others?"

"I'm not sure, we'll have to look around," Just then he noticed Lulu in the water a ways away. He jumped up and ran to her, and kneeled beside her. Rikku looked away tactfully. She was about to turn and walk behind her to look when she heard a loud groan. Curiously peering around the corner, she saw Wakka trying to get up off of the ground, soaking wet and shivering.

"Wakka!" She cried, and ran over to him and helped him get up. "What have I done? What have I done?" He repeated while Rikku led him over to a piece of stone for him to lean against. He sat and put his face in his hands, murmuring the same four words over and over again.

"Wakka, it's okay..." she reached up to touch his shoulder when he slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch me!" He cried and looked at her with hateful eyes. Rikku stepped back and looked at him, holding the hand where he had slapped her. Tears were fighting in her eyes. "Just…. don't," He gave her one last look and got up and walked away from her.

"This isn't my fault!" she cried after him, but he continued walking. She sighed, and turned. She sat on a piece of stone and hugged her knee to her chest. _What have I gotten myself into?_ She blinked back the tears in her eyes. _You can't cry, not now! Be strong! Be strong for Yunie!_ She mentally coached herself on. _That's better._ _Don't let some hair brained islander get the better of you! He's just a _guy_._ _There are plenty of those where you come from! _She smiled slightly, and got up, ready to go on.

Tidus came up to her, his blonde hair matted down by filthy water. "Hi Rikku, you okay?" He asked, leaning against the stone by her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" He shrugged, and shook his hair, spraying water everywhere like a dog.

"I'm sure Yunie's okay, she's breathing fine and all," She motioned to Yuna's still figure. "How are Lulu and Wakka?"

"Well, Wakka's in shock, can't blame him either," She nodded and rubbed her hand, remembering the incident just a few minutes earlier. "And Lulu, well, she's just the same as always," Of course. Strong Lulu, unshakable Lulu.

"She's all together, all grown up I guess," She wished that she could have the nerves of the black mage. "Just give me five or six more years," She calculated in her head. Tidus nodded and stepped away from her.

"So Kimahri, how do we get out of here?" _How dare he change the subject on me? _

"Hey! Don't change the subject!" She scolded him.

"We climb," Kimahri growled.

"Kimahri, too!" She stomped her foot and gave him the stink eye.

"Only those who try will become," He growled. Rikku stopped.

"Huh?" She asked, quite confused.

"I think he means you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu," he explained.

"Oh, I will!" She promised herself out loud.

"Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku,"

"Hey!" She jumped on a board, trying to match his height. "Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu?" She demanded. Tidus laughed at her. She turned and gave him the stink eye.

"How could you guys laugh at a time like this?!" Wakka asked. Yuna groaned and stirred.

"Yuna?" Tidus asked, and knelt by her. She opened her eyes and gasped, obviously surprised by the current setting. "Are you alright?" He asked her as he helped her up. She nodded.

"Where are we?" She asked wearily.

"We're under the lake ice," Lulu said, motioning to the bottom of the temple. She had the same look that Wakka had.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, pressing her face in her hands. As they talked, Rikku noticed something weird. The ground, it didn't feel like a normal lake bottom. It was tight, and slightly bouncy. And if this was the bottom of a lake, where was the rest of the water? She looked down and moved her boots around a bit. This was no lake bottom.

It groaned and moved. "Sin!" She heard a cry.

"The ground!" Auron called.

"The toxin, watch out!" Lulu warned, but it was far too late. Rikku could feel it inside of her, spreading throughout her body. Strange tingling sensations began to flow throughout her. The tingles turned to needles, thousands and thousands of needles in her skin. _Make it stop! Make it stop!_ She screamed, but no one heard her. _Please!_ She pleaded to no one.

The needles came out of her, and she felt herself drop a few feet and crumple to the floor. Coughing, she tried to get up. It felt as though heavy weights were attached to her body.

"Don't struggle," A voice suddenly said. Rikku opened her eyes, but the room was a black as if she had them closed.

"Let me go, please," she pleaded to the unknown voice.

"You're Tidus' friend, yeah?" She thought she had heard that voice before, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Yes," She said, trying and failing to control her voice.

"Hmm," That was the last thing she heard when she felt herself falling in darkness once more.


	12. Give Her Back!

Rikku opened her eyes and was greeted with a blinding sun. Quickly squeezing them shut again, she reached out and grabbed the land on either side of her. All she felt were tiny grains of sand slipping through her fingers. Squinting, she looked around her.

She was in a middle of a desert, sprawled on her back on top of a sand dune. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pains in her back. With one hand supporting her she took the other and rummaged through her pouch. Pulling out a Hi-Potion, she popped off the cork and chugged it down. She gagged slightly on the foul tasting potion but she felt the pain built in her back fade away.

Tucking the empty bottle away she stood up fully. There was yellow sand spread out as far as she could see, dotted with a few machina. Remembering what Lulu had told her about what to do when you get split up, Rikku started to walk to the welcoming shade of an abandoned machina.

It was cooler underneath the metal canopy and offered shelter from the sand stinging winds. She looked around the shell and noticed something funny. A bright blue chest, obviously Al Bhed. Rikku opened it and found a First-Aid package of Al Bhed potions. Fingering the oddly shaped bottles she looked around some more. A message engraved on the wall caught her eye.

"Home ahead," It said in Al Bhed. _Home?_ She wondered, and came to a realization. _Sin dropped me on Bikanel Island! _She wasn't sure if she should travel to Home and get help, or wait for the others and go together. She was probably the only one that would know where they were and even if one of them did know, they wouldn't know where to find Home. They would be stranded in the middle of this desert.

Biting her lip, she decided on plan "B". She trudged to out to the opening leaned against a pole supporting the shelter. Rikku slid herself down it until she was sitting down, leaning against it. A lively Cactuar bounced up to her and hid behind the opposite pole, letting out bursts of high pitched giggles.

"Oh come on needles, do I really have to deal with you right now?" She groaned, and the small pointy creature let out another giggle and jumped giddily. As soon as she got up and struck her battle pose, the creature had gotten a few feet away from her. Eyeing the shiny chocobo feather stuck in its green flesh, she jumped foreward and snatched it.

Once it realized that Rikku had taken the feather from it, its face twisted and it began to cry. Rikku was struck dumb, not quite sure what to do. It then ran away, sobbing. She rolled her eyes and was about to sit down when she saw five figures come up to her. She recognized the other guardians at once, but Yuna was missing.

"Oh, hey guys!" she said as they came up to her. "Where's Yunie?"

"Gone," Tidus said, shaking his head.

"Gone, some guardian I am," Lulu looked down. Rikku knew that she would probably be in Home, but she wasn't sure if she wanted Wakka to know where they actually were. Being a strong Yevonite, she wasn't sure what he would do. But she decided to risk it.

"Umm… there's something I want to tell you, but promise not to say anything," Wakka crossed his arms and glared at her in suspicion. "No glaring, either!" she snapped at him. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island," When she said it she saw Tidus pull out a map of Spira and find the island, making a few marks. He then stowed it away again. "There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here. Yunie's there, I'm sure of it! Other Al Bhed must have come and rescued her!"

"Rescued? You mean kidnapped!" Wakka snapped. Rikku looked at him; she was getting a little tired of putting up with him.

"What does it matter as long as she's safe? Tidus said helpfully.

"That's right! She smiled at him. "Anyway, I'll take you there if you promise that you won't tell anyone about it. Especially not Yevonites, okay? You know they don't like us Al Bhed." She said, eyeing Wakka. "Who knows what they'll do if they knew?"

"Gimme a break, what are you accusing Yevon of this time?" Wakka demanded.

"Yevon did something really bad to us before," she said, looking at the sand.

"Well you Al Bhed must have deserved it!" He said, and Rikku looked up, hurt.

"Can't you guys talk about this later?" Tidus cut in, sounding annoyed.

"Just promise you won't tell anyone about the island, promise?" She asked, rising on her toes to give them a large-eyed pity look.

"Wakka, come on!" Tidus persuaded him.

"Alright, I promise!" He said reluctantly. "Lead the way!" Rikku smiled.

"You got it!" She jumped excitedly, and turned in the direction of Home at a run. The rest of the group followed, a little apprehensive about what was in store for them next. As Rikku ran, she relished the way her feet sank a bit into the sand with each step. She had walked in this desert countless times. Suddenly, she felt a rumble underfoot.

"Look out!" She heard Wakka cry, and she felt his strong arms wrap around her torso and yank her backwards just as an enormous Sand Worm burst out of the sand. "You alright?" Wakka asked her as he put her down. She nodded, a bit shaken, and gazed up at the disgusting creature. "Where's the early bird when you need him?" Wakka grumbled, and stood by Auron, ready to fight.

After Lulu poisoned it, Rikku swapped with Auron. Digging around in her pouch, the pulled out a smoke bomb and chucked it at the drooling creature. It exploded leaving a dark shadow around its head and scorched its slimy skin. She cheered, but it didn't last for long. The worm reared back, and opened its mouth. Rikku felt a wind pulling her in and her feet lifted off of the ground.

She fell down its slippery throat and into its stomach. She couldn't see a thing, but she felt the rubbery flesh walls and the greasy carcasses of the fiends it had for lunch. She began to use every bit of strength to keep her own lunch inside of her.

"Give her _back_!" She heard Wakka's muffled cry and felt the beast flinch as the heavy blitzball collide with its body. Rikku sloshed around for a second, feeling the fiend becoming uncomfortable having her in its stomach. She felt the fiend trying to spit her back up, and she got an idea. Reaching blindly for her pouch, she fingered for a grenade. Just as she saw the light of day again, she pulled the pin and dropped it down its throat.

The Sand Worm spit her out onto the ground. Rikku rolled for a second, the sand sticking to the slimy goo that covered her body. She looked up just in time to see the grenade go off in its tummy. The beast writhed, and burst into a cloud of pyroflies.

"Good one Rikku!" Tidus said, and was about to give her a high-five when he noticed the greenish film that covered her body. He scrunched up his face and retracted his arm.

"Let me get that," Lulu offered, stepping foreward. She powered up for a second and hit Rikku with a mild Water spell. Now goo-free, Rikku shook all of the water droplets off of her body.

"Thanks Lulu," She said, giving her a grateful smile. She didn't know what she would do if she had to walk around all day with that clinging to her skin.

"Let's go!" Tidus said, and Rikku smiled, and began to lead the group again.

**Thanks to everyone that's been reading! :D I really appreciate the reviews. ; )**

**~Star Inkyness 95**

**Rikku's favorite song: **_**That's Not My Name**_** – The Ting Tings**


	13. Thank You

Rikku hummed as she trotted along the familiar land. _Turn right at the old ruin with the sign, left at the sinkhole with the green plant… _she went over the directions in her head. "Just over this dune you'll be able to see Home!" She said excitedly. Running a bit ahead of the group she jumped at the top of the dune. "Over here!" She beckoned them with one hand, and turned to face Home.

She was sure of what she was expecting. Home, the same ten structures circling the main building, lifts, wires, pulleys, ropes, and tubing everywhere. The Al Bhed symbol stamped on the front with pride. But no, what she saw sent shock waves from the very top of her head all the way down to her toes. He Home, the place she had grown up in, in flames and destruction, the warning call crying out in Al Bhed, dark Zu fiends flying everywhere.

"Aaaaaa!" she cried out, and started to run down the dune as fast as she could. All her family and friends were in there! The sand flew everywhere and she bolted down, nearly tripping herself. She skidded to the main door, checking for a moment to make sure that the rest of the group was behind her. When she approached the door she saw that it had been blasted open, the mighty machina panels scorched and shredded to scrap metal.

Inside was worse. Dead bodies of Al Bhed scattered on the floor, blood spattering their suits. Lights and fire engulfed the room in a sickly orange glow. Rikku searched quickly for someone she knew. Her eyes rested on the unmistakable figure of her best friend, Keyakku. He stumbled slightly, clutching his stomach. Rikku let out a scream when she saw blood spurting out in between his fingers and around his hand. He dropped to the ground, unmoving.

"Keyakku!" She cried, running over to him, and dropped on her knees by his body. She took his hand in hers and felt him give a weak squeeze. "Who? Who's attacking us?" She pleaded, tears blurring her vision. "Who did this to you?!" She yelled in Al Bhed.

"Yevon…. Guado…." He breathed, and she felt him go limp.

"Keyakku? Keyakku!" She pleaded. _No… no he can't be dead!_

"A war between Yevon and the Al Bhed?" She heard Lulu ask from behind her.

"This is wrong!" Someone yelled in Al Bhed. "Guado go for the Summoner," She stood up, recognizing the voice of her dad.

"Father…" She said as he passed her. He knelt down by Keyakku's body and hugged him to his chest. He then stood up, his face angry and determined.

"You Rikku's friends?" He barked at them. "Well don't just stand there, come on! Let's kick those Guado out of our Home!" As he ran off, Tidus looked at her.

"Who?" He puzzled.

"Cid. Leader of the Al Bhed… he's my dad," She explained quietly, still looking at Keyakku's fallen body. Years flashed before her. _The day they had met, both six and adventurous. Playing around while their dads made repairs on machina… Having a cake fight at Rikku's 10__th__ birthday party... Sharing a kiss under the staircase while they were 15... The day his mother died she had stayed by him, ready to comfort and distract him at the same time... Playing cards all night on the salvage ship.... Saying goodbye one last time in Luca…_

"Rikku?" Wakka asked softly, and she suddenly realized the streams of tears on her face. Quickly wiping them away she nodded curtly.

"I'm fine," She lied.

"You don't look fine to me…" Wakka put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shook it off. "I'm fine!" She said again, giving him a stony glare. He stepped back, looking slightly offended.

"Let's go!" Tidus said a bit too cheerfully.

"Yeah, we have to say Yunie," She said, remembering the real reason why they were here.

"Not only Yuna, right?" He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Right!" She said, her spirit a bit higher now that she had her friend's support. She turned and pressed the door button at the end of the room, dreading the worst in the room ahead. As she ran into the next area, she saw chunks of the ceiling raining down. Almost all of the doors were jammed. They gathered in the center, looking around for a next way to go.

"Yuna, where are you?" Wakka called. The ceiling crashed in from above, spilling three floating bombs on top of them. Lulu quickly casted Blizzara spells on the fiends, and managed to kill them before they self-destructed on them. All of them dissolved into clouds of gentle pyroflies drifting around. "What in Yevon's name were those Guado thinking?" Wakka asked, looking at the debris and pyroflies raining down from above.

"This is terrible!" Rikku said as she made her way through the one remaining functional door. As they ran down the hallway, her Pop's voice blared on the intercom.

"This bites! Rikku, you read me?" He shouted. "You go under, too! I am leveling Home! And the fiend with it!"

"Oh no!" She said. They had to get to the Airship, quick. Before they destroyed Home…

"What did he say?" Wakka demanded.

"We have to get underground!" She explained.

"Where's Yuna?" Auron asked her. Rikku could know of only one place she would be.

"The Summoner's Sanctum! This way!" She pointed to the corridor behind her.

"Look out!" Wakka called, and she turned just in time to see an angry spitting Dual Horns about to gore her from behind. She jumped out of the way quickly, and came face to face with a guado guardian. He smirked at her, and that filled Rikku with a rage. "You son-of-a-bitch! You'll pay for what you did!" She screamed at him, and slashed at his face with her sharp blade. Again and again, she grazed the weapon across his face. His eyes, his nose, his pointy ears, every bit of his recognizable face turned into a bloody pulp. Bright red blood ran down the orange of her claw.

She wasn't done yet. White hot rage and the need for revenge ran through her blood like venom. She kicked at his fallen body, screaming every time.

"WHY?!" She screeched as she kicked his crumpled form. Hot tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't really care at this point. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!" Keyakku's laughing face floated before her, one she would never see again. She felt Auron's hands close around her right arm and Kimahri's around her left, pulling her away. She kicked and struggled as hard as she could. "LET ME AT THE STUPID BASTERD, LET ME AT HIM!!" She screamed, but the two men kept a vice grip.

She felt Wakka behind her, grabbing her arms and pulling them into her chest, his right on top of hers and pressed his head right up against hers. "Rikku," He whispered in her ear. "I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now. I can understand why you're angry, but right now isn't the time to be angry," Tears streamed down her face faster, and sobs erupted in her throat. "I need you to be strong, and be strong for Yuna, can you do that?" She gave a shaky nod.

He stood up, and held out his hand to help Rikku up. She was shaking like mad, and Wakka felt it. He looked her in the eyes. "Are you going to be alright?" He asked gently. She gave a shaky nod, and he pulled her into a quick hug. "Now let's go get Yuna," She smiled slightly, and began to lead the way to the Summoners Sanctum.

"Thank you," She whispered.  
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**Tidus' Favorite Song: **_**The Great Escape**_** – Boys Like Girls**


	14. Love

They crossed their way through the ruined halls and came to the stairs just before the Sanctum. The roof was cracking and caving in, and Rikku knew that it was beyond restoration. "This place done for," Wakka said, looking around. Rikku looked at the ground.

"You're right, you're right Wakka," She accepted the truth. "We Al Bhed, we… we weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that we were scattered to every corner of Spira. But then, my dad brought the Al Bhed together again. If we put our minds to it, we could make a new Home. Everyone worked so hard, we had our Home back again. But now… why did things have to turn out this way?" She asked, blinking back the tears that continued to fight in her eyes.

"Rikku," Wakka said as he put a hand on her shoulder. She pressed her face into his chest, not wanting to face what was up ahead. "Damn those Guado, what were they thinking?" He cursed, and she heard the roars of the Chimera around her. He pushed her back and they began to fight the fierce creatures. She stood back watching them take them out.

Auron ran foreward and swung his heavy blade at the guado, and he fell to the ground. Rikku smirked at his fallen figure. They pummeled away at the creatures until they fell and burst into pyroflies. Lulu turned to her.

"Rikku, what is the Summoner's Sanctum?" She asked her.

"The Summoner's sanctum is where we keep the summoners. We keep them safe there,"

"You kidnapped them," Wakka accused.

"I know it's against the teachings and all that…" She tried to explain.

"I get why you did it, but…" He trailed off.

"Well I sure don't get It, Wakka." Tidus stepped up to her. They all stiffened, none of them wanting to break the grim news to him. "They might get hurt on their pilgrimage, so you kidnap them? I mean, if the summoners don't do their jobs, who will defeat Sin? You want to protect them I know, but guardians are there for that. If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe!" No one spoke. A large crash came from above. "Right?" He asked. A louder crash was heard. "Right?!" He shouted. The Al Bhed warning suddenly stopped and Kimahri stepped foreward.

"It's quiet, Kimahri goes now," And stepped down the stairs in the direction of the Sanctum. Tidus stared at her, and she stared back. His blue eyes widened into pools of wanting to understand, and he stared into hers for answers. They pulled her like a magnet. She knew he wanted to understand, and Rikku thought it was foolish to keep it from him too long. But if he fell even more in love with Yuna, what would he do then? Time was running out.

Rikku looked at him for one last second when she tore her eyes away. Running down the ramp, she slid through the door to the Summoner's Sanctum. "Yuna, please be here!" she pleaded, looking around anxiously to find her little cousin. Kimahri called her name.

"She's not here," A voice said from behind. She turned and grimaced slightly at what she saw. Dona, as skimpily dressed as ever. "Hello again. Wait there until we can perform a sending." She said, stepping over the where the pyroflies gently drifted in the air.

"They died, protecting us…" Issaru said, looking at the dead all around. Rikku wasn't sure if he meant the Al Bhed or the Guado. "The least we can do is give them a proper sending," Issaru's little guardian, pace, ran up to Tidus.

"Hey, what's "sacrifice" mean?" He asked innocently. She stiffened, and side glanced at the other guardians.

"The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage," he spat, and looked at her. Rikku was confused; Tidus had always been on her side. Why was he accusing her now?

"Pilgrimages have to stop!" She said to him, and he took a step back. "If they don't… and they get to Zanarkand they might defeat Sin but they…. Yunie might….. Yunie will die, you know?" She choked out the painful words to him. His face twisted into confusion, then grief. "You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon she can beat sin. But if she calls it, it's gonna kill her!" She bit on the last five syllables, dreading the simple truth. She dropped to her knees and stared at the scorched floor.

Tidus mumbled something under his breath, and then ran up in front of her. "Tell me why!" He shouted at her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them. Rikku stared at the ground. "Why were you hiding it? Why didn't I know?" She just shook her head, not finding the right words to come.

"We weren't hiding it…" Wakka trailed off, shaking his head.

"It's just, too hard to say…" Lulu's strong voice broke slightly. Tidus gave them all an angry look and dropped to all fours, pounding the ground. "Lulu! How could you? How could you?! Isn't she like a sister to you?" He shouted to the ground. Rikku could see tears in his eyes, running down his face and dripping onto the floor. "I thought you were family! Why don't you do something, Wakka?!" He shouted as he looked up at him.

"Don't you think we tried to stop her? She follows… her heart…" She looked down.

"Yuna, she knew what she was doing when she chose to become a Summoner. To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!" Wakka told him. Rikku just couldn't take it. The whole thing wasn't right at all!

"But Wakka, that's totally wrong!" She protested, finally taking her eyes off of the metal floor. "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves just so the rest of Spira can be happy!"

"But it is our choice," Issaru and Dona came up behind them, and Rikku stood up.

"We all live in fear of Sin, you know that," Dona said, and the roar of a Wendigo as heard behind them. They turned and prepared to fight it.

"A world without Sin… that is the dream of all of Yevon's children. And we will use that power even if it means our lives," Issaru said, and two fierce Aeons dropped from the sky. The fiery, powerful one faced the fiend, spitting and seething. Rikku stepped back slightly. She had watched Yuna summon Aeons from afar, but she had never been up this close to one. Rikku felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see that Wakka had wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you going to be okay, Rikku?" He asked with sympathy in his dark eyes. This strange feeling spread across her body. When he touched her, warmth spread from the tips of her fingers to the very center of her heart. She had felt that feeling before, when Lord Zaon had passed through her. Before she had just thought that it was some property that ghost like creatures have. She knew now. While he was holding her she knew.

It was love.

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**Wakka's favorite song: **_**Say Hey (I Love You)**_** – Michael Franti & Spearhead**


	15. At Least You Tried

**This chapter is a bit longer than usual. ; ) Thanks to no2hitler who subscribed! : )  
____________________________________________________**

Rikku bounded up the stairs to the airship and stepped onto the dimly light bridge. Her father acknowledged her presence, and she nodded at him. Turning, she saw her brother. Normally she wouldn't be this happy to see him, but seeing him safe filled her with joy. "Brother!" She called. He looked up and sighed in relief. Rikku ran up to him and he pulled her into a big hug.

"I was afraid you had been killed. Thank goodness you're alive!" He said to her in mid-hug. He then let her go. Both of their smiles faded.

"How many were saved?" She asked him. He reached up and scratched the skin around his Mohawk.

"All the summoners, our blitz team, a handful of families, and a few mechanics." Not many, not many at all… "And Rin," He added. She nodded, and thought of all the people they had lost.

"Nekia?" She looked up at him as she asked about his fiancé. He bit his lip and shook his head, looking down at the ground to hide his suddenly teary eyes.

"She…. she was being chased by fiends… and… and…" he trailed off. Rikku heart ached for him.

"I'm sorry-" She began to reach up to touch his shoulder.

"Rikku!" She jumped as her father barked her name.

"What Pops?" She asked, very annoyed.

"Why don't you stop distracting my pilot and getting in people's way?" She was used to being yelled at like that, so she just nodded. Brother pushed past her and stepped over to the cockpit, quickly wiping his face with the back of his hand. Rikku sighed and stepped back to let the rest of the navigators get through.

"No time! Go, go, go!" Someone shouted, running into the Bridge. Brother reached behind her and tore a sheet that was hanging off of a printer and scanned it for a second. His eyes widened, and he dropped it.

"Three minutes left!" He shouted in alarm as he ran to his position.

"Hurry hurry! You have one minute!" Cid barked at them, and turned to the control panel, pushing buttons in a frenzy. Tidus flew into the room and looked around wildly.

"Where's Yuna?!" He called to Cid. He ignored him and continued to prepare for flight.

"Everyone on board? Everyone alive!" Then Tidus did something stupid.

"I said, where is she?!" He screamed at him, grabbing his shoulder to turn him away from his work. He grabbed the front of his suit. Rikku saw her father's face screw up in anger. "Answer me, answer me, damn you!" Rikku gasped. _You can't talk to him like that! He'll pay for that one. _Cid looked down on him in disgust.

"What are you gonna do when you find her, eh? Tidus looked at him at loss.

"I… I didn't know anything about what a summoner was supposed to do… And I told her all those things… without even knowing!" He choked out. "I gotta… I gotta tell her I'm sorry!" He father scoffed at those words.

"That's it? You're going to tell her you're sorry. And then just drag her to Zanarkand, and make her fight Sin, huh? You're all the same…" He growled. "Let the summoner die so we can live in peace!" He grabbed the front of Tidus' vest and flipped him backwards onto the metal floor. Rikku flinched as he collided with it hard, making a hollow sound.

"No!" He cried, and pulled himself up. "I'm not gonna let Yuna die!" _I wish… _

"Ah words, show me action!" Cid demanded.

"I'm telling you, she won't die!"

"Boy… don't forget those words," His voice came out in a low growl. "Cause if you do, I'm gonna make you regret it."

"I won't," Tidus promised. Cid gave a deep sigh. All of the Al Bhed workers had stopped to look, and he shot them a death glare, putting them to high gear again. He stepped over to the shimmering blue sphere and studied it. "So do you know where she is?" Tidus asked, taking a step to him.

"Course not!" He yelled, looking at Tidus as if he were stupid. "That's why we're gonna look, using this Airship!" He grinned proudly, remembering the countless hours they had spent repairing the gold and purple beauty.

"A-airship?" Wakka stuttered. Rikku bit her lip. _It must be hard for someone that detests machina to be riding in the sky in one… _

"Father, ready to go!" Brother shouted from the cockpit. The ship began to rumble, and the low humming of thousands of switches and gears rang out in the air. Rikku braced herself for the definite jolts that were ahead.

"Yeehaa!" Her father cried at the movements. "A flight 100 years overdue!" The giant doors slid open slowly, sunlight breaching through the dim windows and striking her in the eyes. The sand poured down from the opening onto the ship like a shimmering golden waterfall.

"Woah, it moves!" Brother exclaimed, and Rikku shared in his surprise. They hadn't tested the craft before.

"Risk big, win big!" Cid shouted, cackling. The ship rose from the ground, displaying the machina city even more destroyed than before. Rikku stared at it, wanting one last look before it was consumed in fire.

"Woah, it flies!" They began to take off slowly at first, and then they began gathering speed. Rikku looked at her feet, knowing what was coming next.

"Next, we use that!" He ordered. Brother gave a deep sad sigh.

"Whatever you say…" He looked up and began to sing the hymn. Pretty soon, all the Al Bhed in the Bridge had joined in. Rikku heard the sorrow in their voices, knowing that the place that they had grown up in, the memories they had held dear to them, were left behind. The music swelled with the passion for the people they had lost.

"What's going on?" Wakka asked her.

"We're… we're going to blow up our Home…" She explained quietly, trying to hide the quiver in her voice.

"How?" She heard Lulu ask. Rage exploded inside of her, and it took all her strength to keep from screaming. _How, Lulu? __**How? **__The one place we live, the one place we call our own, the one place we __**belong**__ is about to be destroyed and all you have to say is __**HOW?!**_

She balled her fist to contain herself until it shook. She didn't even hear her father's response to her. The next thing she felt was the clunk of the guards to the missiles dropping, and the rocketed explosives shooting out of the side. She fell to her knees and pressed her hands to her ears, not wanting to hear or see the explosion.

"No no no no no no no no no no no…" She repeated to herself, shaking her head. _This couldn't... this couldn't be happening! _The ship lurched violently and the Bridge was bathed in a fiery red glow. It gave another violent lurch that sent her to the floor. Brother cursed foully in Al Bhed, then rammed the controls, sending the ship hurtling foreward out of the explosion.

She picked herself off of the floor, adjusting her hair. Her father cackled. "Return to sand," He ordered. Sobs erupted from the cockpit, and she turned to see Brother crying hysterically. "No need for tears!" Cid snapped. "What is good about machina is they can be built anew, you see?" _Pops just doesn't understand. He wasn't crying because of the home he had lost, but of the love he had lost. He loved her so much… he'll never find another like her._ Wakka walked up to her.

"Hey look, don't get so down. Boom! Like happy festival fireworks, ya?" She turned and stared him down, anger bursting in her chest. _How dare he?!_

"You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!" She shot at him, and pushed him away. She ran out of the Bridge, needing to be away from them. She burst into the hallway.

"Rikku, wait!" Wakka ran up behind her and she began to trot quickly away. "Look, I'm sorry okay!" He caught up with her, matching her speed. "It wasn't a very nice thing to say…"

"Ya think!" She scoffed, pressing the button to activate the door to an empty hallway.

"I… I just wanted to make you feel better…" She stopped and turned to look up at him. His chocolate eyes were big, staring down on her. "Now I realize that… I'm not good at that kind of thing," He grinned, embarrassed. Rikku gave a small smile.

"At least you tried," She said. He gave a small nod and his smile faded, his lips parting slightly. She began to lean into him, and she rocked slowly onto her toes. He leaned in too, both of their eyes sliding closed. _HE'S GOING TO KISS ME!! HOLY FRICK HE'S GOING TO KISS ME!!_ Her mind screamed. They were so close; the air between their waiting lips was warm and excited. She could smell the salt on his face. An inch left… a centimeter…

"Hey Wakka, I've-" Tidus burst through the door to their right and trailed off when he saw them. They both looked away from each other, the near kiss moment dissolved. Tidus just stood there, looking embarrassed and somewhat confused.

"What, Tidus?" Wakka asked through gritted teeth.

"I… I…" Rikku took a step toward him, fist balled. The bloodstained blade of her claw stuck out prominently. Wakka did the same, his fingers gripping his blitzball.

"You didn't see anything, right?" She said calmly, running the sharp blade under his chin. He quivered.

"No Rikku… I came to find Wakka… but I found him talking with Issaru... with you… not anywhere near… So... we're good?" He stuttered. Rikku looked back at Wakka, and he nodded.

"Good boy," He turned and walked off, running his hand where her blade had been. "Well I guess we better be getting back…" She said, sighing. Wakka nodded.

"Sorry," He offered.

"It's okay," She said, smiling slightly as they began to walk back to the Bridge.

**Lulu's favorite song: **_**Fully Alive**_** - Flyleaf**


	16. If I Die Out There

Rikku stood in front of the Sphere Ocullo-Finder with her dad by her, both staring intently in the confusing images. The Bridge was mostly empty, only the pilot and a few navigators sat quietly in their positions.

"Hey Pops," Rikku began in English to make the conversation private. "Why did you never tell me that Yunie was my cousin?" Cid sighed, rubbing his forehead intently.

"I… I thought about telling you for a long time. But when your mother died… things changed. I found out about Yuna becoming a summoner and I knew that I couldn't tell you…" He trailed off.

"Why?" She asked. He sighed.

"I didn't want you to feel the burden of loosing another family member," Rikku stopped short. She didn't think her father had enough mental capacity to hold a teaspoon of emotion, let alone care enough for her to lie so she wouldn't be hurt.

"I… I had no idea…" She said, looking down at her boots.

"Like HELL!" He shouted suddenly, making Rikku jump. She looked up at him in confusion. "Like hell Yuna's gonna die. We're gonna keep her from finishing her pilgrimage!" He brought his fist down hard on the controls, making a loud _clunk_.

"But Pops… she's so set on being a Summoner, I don't think she'd give it up even if you begged her!" She explained to him, but his face held. The door behind them slid open, and Auron and Lulu stepped in, followed by Wakka. Auron turned and looked Cid strait in the eye. Rikku stepped back, not wanting to interfere.

"There's something we must discuss," He said coolly.

"Well we're not going anywhere!" Cid said, crossing his arms.

"After rescuing Yuna, then what? You want to keep her safe, correct?" Rikku and Cid both knew where this was going. "Would you seek to stop her pilgrimage?" Rikku shook her head and looked down, knowing exactly what the answer would be.

"Of course!" Cid cried. "If she continues this fool pilgrimage, she will die! Sure as if you killed her yourself! No hare-brained law or teaching can send my little niece to her death!" Rikku looked up to see Wakka's eyes grow very large, and his mouth dropped open. _Well good going Pops; you spilled the beans on that one…_ "When I save her, I'm going to make her give up being a summoner quicker than a desert melts ice!" _With Yuna, it would probably be an ice cube in the desert under the shade of the world's largest tree. _

"Even against her will?" Auron asked with traces of anger in his voice.

"Better than a dog's death!" _What does that mean…?_ "And I'll take down anyone who don't agree!" Cid's words began to sound angry, too. Auron sighed, giving up on the stubborn man.

"You are the captain…" Cid smiled triumphantly.

"Good! Then it's settled!" He said, waving his arms up in the air. Rikku felt someone else in the room, and she turned to see Tidus a few feet away from her. A yelp for joy came from the cockpit. Rikku's heart leaped.

"Father, we found Yuna!" Brother cried.

"Where?" Cid yelled.

"I'll show you!" The glass in front of them turned from a window to a screen in a moment, and an image slowly appeared. Yuna, looking frantic. Rikku's stomach dropped when she saw who was holding her, Seymour. There were decorations all around, and Yuna and Seymour were all dressed extravagantly. That only meant one thing… a wedding. Rikku bit her lip.

"Where is that?" Tidus asked.

"The palace of St. Bevelle, heart of Yevon," Lulu explained.

"Gramps, let's move!" Rikku giggled when her father's face screwed up at the name "gramps"

"Easy kiddo. Bevelle's defensives are top notch!"

"What's the matter gramps, you scared?" Tidus said. Cid rolled his eyes. "Yuna's there, so, we go and get her!" He explained boldly. _He certainly is very positive…_ _more like cocky…_ "And that's all!"

"You got guts, kid," Cid said, smirking. "Set course for Bevelle! Full speed ahead!" He ordered.

"Roger!" Brother said. Rikku planted her feet and braced herself for the acceleration. The ship jolted, and while Rikku stood her ground, Tidus teetered and fell backwards right at Cid's feet.

"It will take a while to get to Bevelle. Meanwhile…"

"We prepare for battle!" Tidus said, getting up. The ship gave a strange sudden jolt, and Rikku almost toppled over. The door opened and Rin came in, looking as cheerful as ever.

"We're being attacked from within," He announced calmly. "Some of the Guado that attacked Home must have snuck on board,"

"You're awfully calm about it!" Cid barked at him.

"I am calm about most things," He said. Rikku looked at her father, and could tell what was going on in his head.

"Fiends! There's nothing to do but-" Rikku knew his tactics all too well, so she jumped in front of him.

"-but destroy the ship and all go down together!" She mocked him. Her father made a noise of confusion and she sighed and shook her head. "You gotta learn a little restraint, pops. If we crash the ship, we can't go rescue Yunie!" She stepped over to Tidus. "Leave the fiends, to us professionals!" She said, giving a triumphant smile.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Tidus agreed.

"Thanks!" She said, happy to have someone to agree with her.

"Rikku," Rin addressed her. "You've made some very good friends, I think. Good luck," She smiled at him, and they all pushed out of the Bridge. They ran across the halls, striking down fiends as they came to attack them.

"Rikku," Wakka said quietly, and pulled her arm. He dragged them both quickly into an empty closet.

"Wakka, they're going to wonder where we've been!" She hissed. The closet was rather small, a single light bulb casting a dim glow across them. The shelves pushed them toward each other, their torsos pressing awkwardly.

"I want to know that I did the right thing if I die out there," She opened her mouth to say something, but Wakka cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips on hers. She stiffened in surprise, but relaxed. It seemed like days they were locked in an embrace, but it ended all too soon. Wakka pulled away, it ending as quickly as it had started. His cheeks flushed pink. "Okay?" He asked, giving a nervous smile.

"Okay," She said, returning the smile. "I think we better be getting back," She said, pressing the button to open the door. The stumbled out of the small space out in the hallway and ran head on into Lulu, who was beating back an Evil Eye. She looked at them in confusion, then her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise. They both gave her little awkward waves, and started to run down the hall, laughing.

**Kimahri's favorite song: **_**25 years**_** – Blackmore's Night**


	17. Thanks For Saving Me

Rikku trotted up the stairs and to the upper deck. She looked to see Auron standing by the window, staring at something. "Huh… now there's a rare sight," Tidus came up behind him.

"Woah, that's huge!" He exclaimed, and curiosity took over her. She stepped up to where they were standing and stared out the window. She gasped at the strange and ferocious sight.

"What is that?" She asked, her heart beginning to beat quickly as she stared at the strange creature.

"The Guardian Wyrm, Evrae." Lulu said. _A worm? It looks more like a dragon to me… "_The great sacred beast, protector of Bevelle!"

"The red carpet has teeth," Auron said, smirking at his pun.

"Wait, that means we're close to Bevelle!" Tidus exclaimed. _Yes, good observation skipper. I don't know how you managed to piece that together!_

"Rikku, you read me?" Her father's voice blared over the intercom. She opened her mouth to respond, but he plowed right on anyway. "We're going to fight that thing! Get on deck and show him what you got! Go!" Rikku rolled her eyes.

"There he goes again…"

"The ferryman asks a high price," Auron said.

"Yeah well that's just how he is," He nodded. She stepped on the lift up to the top deck. The sun beat down on her and the wind whipped through her hair. The feather in her braid tickled the back of her neck as they watched Evrae swoop around the ship.

"We gotta keep our distance boys, but we can't let her get too far away! You'll have to tell me when to move!" Cid shouted over the intercom. Rikku ducked as Evrae swooped very close to the ship, roaring. "But tell me quick, eh? This rig aint so nimble, you hear?"

"Roger, I'll give the commands!" Tidus said.

"Not alone, you won't!" She told him. The beast reared back its ugly head and swooped near the ship. Rikku stood between Wakka and Tidus. Charging up, Tidus cast a Haste spell at her. She began to feel faster, and soon everyone else began to feel slow. She started to bounce up and down, newly alive with explosive energy. She swung her claw at the beast, leaving a large gash in its flesh.

It roared and threw its head back, sucking in a large amount of air. _What the..? _Tidus bounced foreward and slashed it and Wakka through his Blitzball at it, colliding with its skeleton with a sickening _thud_. Evrae reared back slightly, and then exhaled a sickly green gas. It was all around her before she knew what was happening. She coughed, the colors in front of her blurring together. The poison quickly seeped through her, and her body quickly began to lose energy.

She fell to her knees, clinging to consciousness. Her stomach churned and she knew she had to do something or she would be knocked out. She weakly reached into her pouch and felt blindly for an Al Bhed potion kit. She pulled part the three tiny bottles and tossed them to her comrades, swallowing hers quickly.

Her vision cleared and she could feel her strength returning. She coughed one last time, clearing her lungs. The poison dissolved inside of her and she stood up again, even more angry at the dragon. They continued to pummel at it, when it sucked in a giant breath of air. _Not again, you won't._

"Father, go far!" She shouted to him. The ship began to creak and shake as it started to turn.

"Don't be falling, now!" He said, and the ship pulled away from Evrae. Wakka threw his blitzball as hard as he could at it, leaping up to catch it as it rebounded. Lulu skidded in on her other side and started to cast spells at it.

A while later Evrae was still standing, and the group was beginning to feel the wear from the long battle. Auron leaped foreward and dealt one last blow to it. The dragon flinched, and then began to writhe. It turned a sickly shade of gray, and shimmering pyroflies began to seep out of it.

"Yes!" Rikku cheered, jumping up and down at their victory. She stopped and reached into her pouch and pull out a Hi-Potion. She swallowed it, feeling the bones and bruises begin to heal. She cast away the empty bottle and looked up at Wakka. He ran up to her, a smile on his face.

"We did it!" He cheered, and pulled her up into the air and twirled around. Giggling, she put her hands around his shoulders and relished the feeling of his large hands on the curve of her back. He set her down, a bit of a pink flush appearing on his cheeks.

"Look!" Auron said suddenly, and they looked down to see the place of St. Bevelle, decked out for a wedding. The ship jolted violently, then shot upward. Rikku cried out and grabbed a piece of metal jutting up from the deck floor and held on for dear life. The wind picked the feet off of the ground, and she realized how fast they were hurtling down.

"Brother what the hell are you doing?" She yelled, her voice lost in the wind. The ship steadied enough to send two hooks jutting into the intricate stones, smashing them.

"We go down!" Auron screamed over the wind.

"What?" She cried. _Slide down? Is he crazy?_

"Now!" He ordered, jumping from the deck edge. Rikku bit her lip and ran to the edge, looking down at the height they were descending. "Um…" She began, but Wakka caught her hand in his and jumped off of the deck, dragging her down as well. She crouched low, trying to steady herself on the tottering wire.

Her landing was far from graceful. She knew she was coming down way too fast, but how would she stop? "Look out!" She called, and Wakka looked up at her as she came sliding down. He stood at the end, his arms out, braced for the impact. "Are you crazy?" She screamed at him, but he held himself.

"Aaaaaa!" She screamed, and slid right into his arms. Surprisingly, neither of them tumbled over. She collected herself then looked up at him.

"You okay?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said, smiling widely. "Thanks for saving me!" She said, and Wakka sighed in relief. "Let's go get Yuna!" She cheered, and he nodded. They kicked and punched through the monks and machina, each step one step closer to where Yuna stood with Seymour.

"This has gone far enough!" Kinoc cried, stepping in front of them. Tidus tried to leap foreward, but Auron stuck his arm out and held him back. Rikku felt the sharp stab of a bayonet in her back. She stiffened, wincing at the pain. She looked helplessly up at Yuna, who had her staff up, ready to send Seymour. _You do it, Yunie!_

"You would play at marriage, just for a chance to send me?" He looked at her staff as if it were a child's toy. "Your resolve is admirable, all more fitting to be my lovely wife." Rikku wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. She turned her staff again, the gentle pyroflies beginning to seep out of him.

"Stop!" The withered old Maester Mika stepped foreward, looking down on them. "Do you not value your friends' lives?" Yuna stopped, glancing back at them. Rikku bit her lip, looking around at the many monks that had their guns stabbed into them. Rikku glanced back at the man on the end of the gun that was stabbing into her back, and narrowed her eyes at him. He did the same, noticing the green spirals in her eyes.

"Al Bhed heathen!" He hissed, pushing the blade even harder onto her skin. She flinched and gave a small gasp and the pain worsened, and she could feel a small trail of wet blood sliding down her back. "Protect them, or throw them away? The choice is yours." _Yunie, don't let him get inside of your head! Send him, now!_ The cheering in her head didn't work. Yuna stopped, and slowly let her staff drop. _No! _It tumbled down the stairs and landed uselessly at the bottom.

Just like their hope.

____________________________________________

**Auron's Favorite Song: **_**Welcome To The Jungle**_** – Guns N' Roses**


	18. It Certainly Helped

**For all of my readers who have read this far into the story, I would just like to explain something to you.**

**The reason I include so many lines from the game into my story is because I want to show what Rikku's take of everything is. What she's thinking, what she's feeling, and how she and Wakka's relationship grew over the course of the game. If it gets kinda boring to read, I'm very sorry, and I'm really working on putting more stuff in between dialogue that you know and leaving out things that don't matter.**

**Thanks and please be nice,**

**~Star Inkyness 95**

**__________________________________________________**

Rikku bit her lip as Seymour stepped up to Yuna, a smirk playing on his face. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed a strand of hair from her face. Rikku cried out in protest as he leaned in. When he kissed her, Rikku's insides churned in disgust. The bells rung and applause filled the air, and she wanted nothing else but to run up and slash his face out.

Seymour finally pulled away from her and looked down on them in disgust. "Kill them," He ordered. Rikku gasped, and the man holding the gun to her back gave an evil chuckle. She could hear the gun clink, and she closed her eyes, waiting for death.

_I guess its better that it ended this way. I won't have anyone to impress anymore, or any expectations to live up to. I can just… float away… _She remembered what Wakka said to her, and she felt the kiss play on her lips one more time. _At least I got to feel what it was like to fall in love…_

"No!" She heard Yuna scream, and she opened her eyes to see her standing near the edge. "Throw down your weapons! Let them go, or else," She threatened, taking another few steps backwards. Kinoc waved his arm and the bayonet reluctantly with drawled from the point in her back. She ran foreward through the parting guards to where Yuna stood. "Leave now, please!" She pleaded.

"You're coming with us!" Tidus said, and Rikku nodded in agreement.

"This is foolish. If you fall, you'll die," Seymour pointed out. _What is she planning?_

"Don't worry, I can fly. Believe." _Fly?_ Though very confused at what she meant, she reluctantly nodded. Yuna threw her arms out and tipped backwards.

"Yuna!" Rikku cried as she fell over the edge. Seymour and the priests looked down the where she had fallen. The sky burst with light, and something round fell from it. It opened, and she saw that it was one of Yuna's flying Aeons. A smile curved on her lips at Yuna's cleverness. Seizing the moment of disarray, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a very powerful flashbomb that she had taken from the Airship.

"Cover your eyes!" She cried, chucking the bomb at their feet. She turned and clamped her hands over her eyes as it went off, and began to sprint down the stairs.

"What was that?" Wakka asked, running beside her.

"An Al Bhed flashbomb!" She explained quickly, jumping over the bodies of fallen monks. A monk with a large flamethrower jumped in front of them and began to pump the red weapon. "Aaaaaa!" Rikku gave a battle cry and threw her weight against him, colliding her body against his and knocking him down. She scrambled up, making sure to kick him in the face as she got up.

They came to a small staircase. She ran quickly with Wakka right behind her to the rest of the group and looked around.

"Where'd Yunie go?" Kimahri looked at her.

"Bevelle palace is Temple. Yuna go to one place only," She tried to figure out what he meant when Tidus sprung up.

"The Chamber of the Fayth!" He exclaimed, and they all walked through the door to the Temple. Inside was very dim, a large circular staircase descending down farther than Rikku could see.

"It's too quiet… a trap?" Lulu wondered, looking around for any signs of a booby trap. A blinking light caught her eye, and she suddenly recognized what the staircase really was. She fingered the control panel stuck on the wall and activated it, sending the metal platform down the staircase. Pushing another button she brought it back up again.

"What's a machina doing in a temple?" Wakka asked from behind her. Rikku looked down at the many steps and thought of the frail old Maesters.

"Well I suppose it comes in handy," She said, shrugging.

"That's not what I mean!" He snapped. "The teachings! What about the teachings!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" She said defensively, throwing her arms up in protest. Auron stepped on the panel. Tidus and Lulu did the same, and Kimahri stepped on it as well. "If you want to walk down that's fine by me. Have fun in the Cloister of Trials." She told him, joining the others. Wakka groaned, looking over the edge at the many stairs.

"Ah fine," He said, grumpily stepping onto the platform. Rikku pushed a few buttons and it began to move swiftly down the steps. She looked over at the wall, trying to look at the intricate patterns carved into the walls as they flew by. A gentle wind pushed through her as they went deeper into the Temple.

When it stopped they came to a hallway covered by an electrical generated pulse. Rikku opened the control panel and started to push several buttons. "Another machina? Man…" Wakka sighed. Rikku had no idea how he must be feeling. He had lived by the teaching of Yevon all his life, and now everything he believed in was being proved wrong.

"So this is Yevon's true face," Auron said as the pulse disintegrated, leaving the pathway clear. "They betray their own teachings," Wakka shook his head and looked down.

"They treated us like dirt…" He mumbled. Rikku looked up at him sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder. She looked for the right words to say, but none came up. For a few seconds she just stood there, looking down intently as she thought of the words to say. Her mind drifted for a second, and then she opened her mouth to speak.

"I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now," He looked down at her. "I can understand why you're angry, but right now isn't the time to be angry," She reaped his words back to him. "I need you to be strong, and be strong for Yuna, can you do that?" He nodded and looked up again.

"You know that sounds kinda familiar," He said, smiling very slightly as they began to walk. Rikku shrugged.

"Well someone told me that when my world was literally crashing down on me, and it certainly helped." She said, slipping her hand in his as they walked to the entrance of the trials.

**Yuna's Favorite Song: **_**Enough**_** – Barlow Girl**


	19. Don't Touch Her

"This is… interesting," Rikku said, surveying the Cloister of Trials. The track light up and began to move, and Rikku took a step backwards.

"Hey, check this out!" Tidus said, and pushed the pedestal on the track.

"Don't!" She protested, thinking it was going to fall right through. It stopped and melted into the track to form a platform. "Woah, weird!" Tidus stepped on it nervously, and it began to move quickly away from them. "Hey, come back!" She called to him.

"I don't know how!" He called back, quickly looking around for a way to stop.

"Press on the glyphs," Auron ordered calmly. Tidus did, and began to move back to them. Rikku stepped onto the track edge and looked down. All she could see was the walls leading down into a deep black pit.

"Rikku should be careful," Kimahri said, looking at her. She turned to him and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd be pretty bad if someone fe- AAA!" Her boot slipped on the rounded edge of the track and she started to fall down. Reaching up frantically, she managed to wrap her fingers around the metal and stop herself from falling down into the black depths. "Help!" She screamed, feeling her fingers quickly slipping off.

Kimahri jumped over to her and wrapped his hand around her arm, planting his feet on the ground. He pulled her up from the edge. Once her feet touched solid ground she fell on all fours and breathed deeply to try and calm her racing heart. Kimahri stood back and looked down on her. "Rikku need to listen to Kimahri,"

"You need to be more careful!" Lulu scolded. Rikku pulled herself up from the ground. "One of these times no one is going to be there to catch you!" She looked at her boots, feeling her face get hot.

"Yes ma'am," She mumbled. As they worked through the difficult puzzle Rikku made sure to keep away from the edges. Finally they pushed the pedestal off of the track one last time to a set of stairs. "Finally!" Rikku cried, padding up the many stairs. They stepped into the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth.

"Yuna?" Tidus called, looking around the small room.

"Inside, maybe?" Wakka suggested.

"Then what are we waiting her for!" Tidus stepped up and began to attempt to heave the door open.

"Hey!" Wakka cried, stepping foreward to stop him.

"You can stuff your taboos!" He said as he began to tug at the door. Rikku stood back and watched, making no motion to go and help him. _He's never getting that door open…_ She giggled slightly watching him groan as he tried to heave it open. It was quite a funny sight.

Kimahri spoiled her fun when he stepped foreward to help him. Tidus ran through eagerly.

"I better go, too." Auron said, and Kimahri held the door open for him.

"I hope Yunie's okay…" Rikku said, nervously fiddling with the feather in her braid.

"If she made it through that wackjob Cloister of Trials, she has to be," Wakka said, crossing his arms. Rikku made a face and looked at him.

"That was equally comforting and insulting, Wakka." She said, and Wakka shrugged. She turned away from him and heard him gasp.

"Rikku! Wha- wha happened to your back?" Rikku craned her neck and tried to look back at her wound. It stopped stinging after she had doused it with a potion, but she didn't know how bad it really was. All she could see was red, and a lot of it.

"A monk got a little rough with me, that's all." She said, turning her back against the wall so they would stop gaping at her wound. She looked up as the door opened and Auron came out, a slight smile playing on his face. She was about to ask what he was smiling at when a gunshot rang out in the air.

Rikku flinched and jumped near the others to see a row of monks with weapons pointed at them. Kinoc appeared behind them, smirking smugly. Rikku heard the door begin to open behind them.

"Wait! Don't come out!" She warned, but it was too late. Tidus emerged, and unconscious Yuna in his arms.

"That's the last of 'em!" Kinoc said, still smirking. "You are to stand trial," He announced.

"I expect it will be a fair trial,"

"Of course it will," Kinoc said, and the monks jumped foreward. One of them came up behind Rikku and grabbed her braids. "AAAAaaaaa!" She shrieked in pain as he began to drag her by her hair. It felt as if he was ripping chunks of her blonde locks out. She stumbled along, trying to lessen the strength that was yanking on her braids.

"Stop!" Lulu snapped. "Just because she is Al Bhed doesn't mean that she is guiltier than the rest of us!" The monk let go of her braids and she dropped to her knees, pressing on her scalp.

"This heathen deserves it!" The monk snarled, and clubbed her in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle. She cried out in pain and clutched the back of her head where he had struck her. She felt wetness and drew her hand away to see a large smudge of blood on her fingers.

Wakka rushed right up to the monk and glared at him with fury in his eyes, ignoring the weapon that was pressed to his chest. "_Don't… touch… her_," He snarled behind gritted teeth.

"Wakka, don't!" Rikku said, but Wakka didn't listen. Rikku blinked, trying to clear her vision. Her head felt like it had been split open, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The colors in front of her ran together and her arms gave out from under her. She fell to the ground, struggling to cling to consciousness. She felt a hand on her back and heard the faint shouting, but she didn't know what.

A warm wash of a Cura spell came over her. She blinked and saw the room clear, the pain in her head dulling. She sat up carefully and saw Yuna kneeling over her, looking down at her in concern.

"Thanks," She said gratefully. Yuna nodded, swaying slightly. Rikku felt Auron put a hand on her arm, and helped her up. She stepped over to Wakka who was still glaring at the monk. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and brought him back.  
_________________________________

**Rikku's favorite food: Peaches**


	20. I Thought I Was The Only One

Rikku sat on the floor of the cage, leaning up against one of the thick metal bars. The trial didn't go very well at all. When she looked through the bars and she could see Yuna sitting in a cage away from her, face in her hands. Rikku didn't really expect anything else. All of her beliefs had been shattered in a million pieces…

Pushing herself up she stretched out her sore muscles. She didn't know how long she had been sitting in that cage, but it seemed like hours. The faint voices of Tidus and Auron carried down to her but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Reaching up, she absentmindedly stroked the feather in her braid.

Rikku looked up as three monks stopped on the bridge by her cage. Two of them had scary looking guns pointed at her while the other drew the cage in. They threw the door open and advanced in the cage toward her. Pressing the butt of the gun against her back, one pushed her out onto the bridge.

"So, what's the word?" She asked back at them, but they remained silent. She walked quickly, trying to lessen the amount of force the monk was stabbing into her back. The monk in front kicked open a door, and they steered her into it.

Rikku wasn't sure what she was expecting, but what she saw caught her off guard. Part of the room was concrete, and the other part dropped off into a large pool of water. _Are they going to drown me…? _Rikku wondered what they were planning. The monk led her over to the edge. She looked down in the clear blue water and saw several fiends swimming around in the depths.

She bit her lip nervously, trying to prepare herself for a fight. The monk gave an evil chuckle and Rikku clamped her eyes shut. She received a blow on the back of her legs which caused her knees to buckle. The cold water greeted her violently, and she opened her eyes. She noticed that the pool didn't end at the end of the room, that the water filled a very vast space. She turned and swam.

She couldn't see much, the water blurred her vision. Reaching down, she retrieved the goggles from around her neck and strapped them on her face. She kicked up to the surface. As she broke the water, she cleared the water out of plastic lenses.

Suddenly, something pulled her under. Kicking, she tried to get the fiend that was latched onto her leg. She didn't dare hit it with a grenade at such close range, so she just had to try and aim kicks at it until it let go. Red blood clouded the water around her, and pain shot through her leg.

Suddenly, she felt the fiend stiffen and let go. Face screwed up in pain, she looked for the one who had saved her. Wakka swam up to her quickly, Blitzball in hand, looking frantic. She reached up and took off the goggles and looked down at the water. The amount of blood in the water was beginning to seriously scare her.

"Frickin fiends…" Wakka cursed. He looked down in alarm at the red in the water. "Let me see," He ordered, and Rikku raised her leg up to him. His sharp intake of breath caused her to squeeze her eyes shut, not wanting to see her mangled limp. She heard him splash around in the water for a second and heard a cork being unstuck from a bottle. "I hope it's worth it…" He said, and she could feel him pour the potion over the wound.

"Aaaaaa!" She screamed as the potion took effect. It felt like fire ripped through the wound, burning up her flesh like a volcano. "Make it stop!" She pleaded. Wakka's hand slid into hers, easing the pain. The fire died, and the cool water lapped mercifully on her wound. She looked down at her now healed leg, not a trace of blood in the water.

"Thanks," She said quietly, still holding his hand.

"Don't mention it," He said, smiling. He leaned in, and Rikku did the same. Their lips met in a wet embrace. Rikku let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His kiss was eager and excited, not wanting to let her go. She could feel his hands on the arch of her back, resting comfortably and politely.

Rikku carefully ran her tongue across his bottom lip, making him tremble slightly. Reaching up she ran her fingers through Wakka's flaming hair. Though it was wet she still enjoyed the feeling of it through her fingers. His large hands ran up and down her back, tracing small patterns on her wet skin.

They broke apart, both breathless of the amazing kiss. They pressed their foreheads together, her falling into his mud brown eyes and him being hypnotized by her spiraling green ones. "Man, if I told myself two months ago that I was going to fall in love with an Al Bhed, I'd think I was crazy," Rikku's mouth dropped open.

"L- love?" She sad, not believing it. She thought she was just feeling for him… she didn't know he felt the same way. Wakka's eyes widened and he looked down, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean…"

"I thought I was the only one…" She said, and he looked up at her.

"You…?" He just left the question hang there, and she nodded. A smile spread across his face, and she smiled back at him. After kissing one more time, he looked at her seriously. "We can't tell anyone, though." She shook her head. "We need to focus of keeping Yuna safe, that's our main purpose," She nodded this time.

They were about to kiss again when they heard Tidus cry out in alarm and splash into the water. Wakka sighed and Rikku rolled her eyes.

"He always breaks the moment, doesn't he?" Wakka said, and Rikku giggled. They swam away from each other, and Rikku motioned for him to go first. "Ooh, you made it!" Wakka said as they came up to him, and they gave each other a high five.

"What's our sentence?" Tidus asked.

"I think they expect us to give up and die down here." Wakka said, rolling his eyes again.

"Well that's a lame way to kill someone!" Tidus groaned. Rikku restrained herself from commenting on that. _Well maybe next time you could ask for a more exciting way to die! I'm sure they've got a whole list of options. _

"Where's Yunie?" She asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Tidus said, shaking his head.

"I wonder if we should wait for her," She suggested.

"Hmm… let's wait at the exit."

"If there is an exit…" She trailed off, looking at the large pool sides. Tidus began to swim away and Wakka followed. Taking a moment to strap on her goggles, she dived underwater.

**If there was a band:  
Lead Singer – Rikku  
Lead Guitar – Tidus  
Bass Guitar – Auron  
Drums – Wakka  
Rhythm Guitar – Kimahri  
Band Manager – Yuna  
Songwriter – Lulu **


End file.
